WEF: Online Fraud, Ransomware Top CEO Fears; Resilience Divide Grows

Key points

• WEF's Akshay Joshi highlights online fraud and ransomware as top CEO concerns for 2026.
• A resilience divide is expanding between larger and smaller organizations across geographies.
• Persistent talent shortages hinder cybersecurity efforts.
• The findings come from an interview with Help Net Security.

In a 2026 conversation with Help Net Security, Akshay Joshi from the World Economic Forum shared insights from the organization's latest research on worldwide cybersecurity threats. The discussion focused on how top executives view and order digital dangers.

The results show that fraud carried out through online channels and ransomware attacks sit at the top of the list for business leaders. These two threat categories repeatedly appear as primary worries, given their direct effects on operations and finances.

A major finding is the expanding divide in resilience. Bigger entities typically possess greater means to put into protective measures, whereas smaller ones find it hard to match that level. This unevenness is seen in various parts of the world, indicating a global problem rather than a local one.

Making matters worse are ongoing shortages of skilled personnel. Numerous organizations struggle to recruit and keep qualified cybersecurity staff, which restricts their capacity to handle incidents and uphold strong defenses.

The interview makes clear that although CEOs are well aware of the risks, turning that awareness into concrete steps is inconsistent. Disparities between major and minor enterprises, combined with shortages of skilled workers, create an environment in which cyber fraud and ransomware can thrive.

What to watch: whether the World Economic Forum's findings prompt more focused investments in smaller organizations and whether training programs can reduce the talent gap in the years ahead.

What to do now

1. Immediately verify that offline backups are immutable and test restoration procedures for critical systems.
2. Enforce multi-factor authentication on all remote access, email, and administrative accounts.
3. Run phishing and fraud awareness simulations for staff and students, focusing on social engineering tactics.
4. Conduct a resilience gap assessment comparing your organization's capabilities against similar-sized peers.
5. Prioritize patching of internet-facing services and adopt a risk-based vulnerability management approach.
6. Develop a skills development plan, including cross-training existing IT staff and exploring shared services with other districts.
7. Review and update incident response plans, conducting tabletop exercises that include ransomware and fraud scenarios.

Original source

Help Net Security