Specialist Insurance Company Beazley’s Risk and Resilience: 2026 Cyber Threats and Technology Advances Report, Based on insights from 3,500 business leaders around the world, a clear disconnect between how organizations view their ability to withstand cyber incidents and the scale of risk they face is identified.
Beazley found that cyber risk remains the most important concern across industries, regions and company sizes, but the vast majority of executives still express confidence in financial recovery after an attack.
Beazley said that 31% of respondents now list cyber risks, including data privacy failures and criminal activity, as their top concern, up from 29% in 2025, a trend that is consistent across major markets around the world.
Nonetheless, Beazley reports that 78% of business leaders believe they can fully recover financially from a cyberattack, while 82% say they are prepared to deal with such risks.
Beazley believes this reflects a possible underestimation of how quickly the threat landscape is evolving and how far-reaching the impact of the incident will be. Meanwhile, Beazley noted that 33% of executives plan to increase spending on cybersecurity, indicating a growing awareness of the need to strengthen defenses.
The company also highlighted the growing role artificial intelligence plays in creating opportunity and exposure. The report noted that 80% of respondents expect artificial intelligence to improve financial performance, and 72% believe artificial intelligence will replace jobs in the next 18 months, up from 66% in 2025.
Beazley noted that as AI adoption accelerates, organizations must expand governance and oversight alongside technical capabilities because both success and failure will happen more quickly.
Beazley’s findings demonstrate that cyber risks are becoming more systemic, with incidents able to spread rapidly through interconnected systems, vendors and digital platforms. Beazley emphasized that resilience is now no longer defined by preventing disruption, but by limiting its spread, duration, and how efficiently businesses can recover.
Alessandro Lezzi, Head of Cyber Risk Group at Beazley, commented: “What stands out most from this year’s Risk & Resilience survey results is the growing dissonance between cyber and technology risk concerns and perceptions of resilience to these risks. While cyber risk is widely recognized as the number one threat facing businesses globally, 78% believe they can fully recover financially from a cyberattack, suggesting that many organizations are overestimating their readiness to withstand the full impact of an attack in every corner of their operations.
“This gap is important because cyber risk is becoming more systemic – as the high-profile events of 2025 only prove. As businesses become more connected and adopt technologies such as artificial intelligence, disruptions are likely to spread faster through organizations and supply chains, making incidents harder to contain.
“However, it is encouraging to see that one in three businesses plan to invest in stronger cybersecurity, including access to expertise to help them better understand their risks, enhance incident response and plan for realistic breach scenarios across the organization.”
Beazley described a broader shift in the nature of cyber risk, explaining that it has moved beyond isolated technical issues to become a systemic threat with the potential to impact entire organizations and supply chains over the long term. Beazley’s report outlines how cybercriminals are increasingly using advanced artificial intelligence, including proxy systems, to conduct large-scale automated reconnaissance and phishing campaigns.
These attacks exploit a highly interconnected technology ecosystem and operate with speed and scale, making them harder to detect and contain.
Beazley also pointed to the growing impact of geopolitical tensions on cyber activity, noting that attacks related to international conflicts could target businesses and infrastructure with little warning. This results in what Beazley describes as a more complex threat environment, where organizations face multiple, simultaneous risks that are more difficult to predict, govern and control.
Beazley’s report further explains that even relatively minor cyber incidents can trigger widespread operational and financial consequences that often spread throughout the supply chain and persist long after the initial problem has been resolved. Still, Beazley found that executives’ confidence levels remain high, which may not fully reflect the scale or duration of potential disruption.
Beazley also explores the dual impact of technology, particularly artificial intelligence, as a driver of value and a source of risk. Beazley noted that while AI can increase efficiency, automate decision-making and enhance data insights, it can also increase exposure by expanding the attack surface and increasing the speed at which threats can evolve. The report highlights risks such as flawed or biased output, a lack of transparency in decision-making and the potential for sensitive data to be exposed.
Beazley sees governance as a key challenge, with existing frameworks often struggling to keep pace with rapid technological change. The report warns that insufficient regulation could lead to escalating risks, particularly where AI systems operate with limited oversight or where controls are inconsistent with the pace of innovation.
Beazley emphasized that organizations need continuous monitoring, improved system visibility and enhanced management of third-party risks to effectively address these challenges. Beazley emphasized tools like real-time risk monitoring and extended detection and response as ways to catch vulnerabilities early and reduce the likelihood of widespread breaches.
In his assessment of resilience, Beazley believes businesses must move beyond focusing solely on prevention. The report highlights the importance of building resilience into core operations through robust business continuity planning, regular testing and a clear understanding of financial risks. Beazley also emphasized the role of insurance in supporting recovery, while noting that organizations should identify any gaps in coverage and plan accordingly.
Beazley concluded that resilience is an ongoing process rather than a one-time measure. Beazley said that as organizations become more reliant on digital, the ability to respond quickly, limit disruption and recover effectively becomes increasingly important. The report recommends that resilience should focus on reducing impacts, shortening recovery times and ensuring access to the resources needed to manage incidents.
Overall, Beazley laid out a picture of rising cyber risks and continued confidence among business leaders, with the report suggesting that as threats become more complex, interconnected and difficult to contain, organizations may need to reassess their preparedness.
