Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2023

The Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2023 highlights a narrowing perception gap between business and cyber leaders regarding the importance of cyber-risk management, driven largely by global geopolitical instability. While awareness is increasing, a significant communication gap remains, as cyber leaders struggle to translate technical risks into business terms that boards can act upon. The report identifies systemic risks stemming from third-party dependencies and a critical global shortage of cybersecurity talent, particularly in critical infrastructure. It advocates for a shift toward a security-focused culture, improved organizational reporting structures, and a more inclusive approach to recruiting diverse talent to build long-term resilience.

• Geopolitical instability has significantly aligned the views of business and cyber leaders, with 91% of all respondents believing a "far-reaching, catastrophic cyber event" is at least somewhat likely within the next two years.
• Cyberattackers are increasingly focusing on causing business disruption and reputational damage, which are the top two concerns for respondents.
• There is a persistent communication gap where cyber leaders struggle to articulate risks in a language that business counterparts can understand and act upon, often relying on technical jargon rather than business impact.
• Supply-chain vulnerabilities create systemic risks; 90% of respondents are concerned about the cyber resilience of third parties with direct connections or data processing roles.
• Perceptions of cybersecurity regulations have shifted positively, with 73% of respondents now agreeing that cyber and privacy regulations are effective in reducing organizational cyber risk.
• A critical global talent gap persists, with a 2021 estimate of 2.27 million missing cybersecurity experts. The shortage is most acute in the public sector and critical infrastructure industries, such as energy utilities.
• Organizational size influences resilience capabilities; larger firms (over 1,000 employees) are more likely to be affected by supplier-originated cyber incidents (39%) compared to smaller firms (25%), and smaller firms are significantly less likely to have cyber insurance (48% lack coverage).
• Emerging technologies, specifically artificial intelligence and machine learning (20%), cloud technology (19%), and user identity and access management (15%), are expected to have the greatest influence on cyber risk strategies over the next two years.

APA

World Economic Forum (2023). Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2023. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Global_Security_Outlook_Report_2023.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2023. 2023. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Global_Security_Outlook_Report_2023.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2023 |date=January 2023 |url=https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Global_Security_Outlook_Report_2023.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2023global, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2023}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2023}, month = jan, url = {https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Global_Security_Outlook_Report_2023.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }