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Business leaders see AI risks and fraud outpacing ransomware, says WEF | Computer Weekly

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Business leaders see AI risks and fraud outpacing ransomware, says WEF | Computer Weekly


Midway through a decade that is coming to be defined by the runaway acceleration of technological change, the threat of ransomware attacks seems to be dropping down the agenda in boardrooms around the world, with C-suite executives more concerned about growing risks arising from artificial intelligence (AI) vulnerabilities, cyber-enabled fraud and phishing attacks, disruption to supply chains, and exploitation of software vulnerabilities.

This is according to the fifth annual World Economic Forum (WEF) Global cybersecurity outlook report, based on a survey of 804 participants from 92 countries, including 316 chief information security officers (CISOs), 105 CEOs and 123 other C-suite executives such as chief risk or technology officers, conducted between August and September 2025, as well as workshop discussions and short polls conducted around the forum’s Global Future Councils and Cybersecurity meeting.

A total of 87% of these respondents believed risks from AI increased in the past year, compared with 13% who were neutral on the subject. Approximately 77% saw risks from fraud and phishing on the rise; 66% talked about supply chain disruption; and 58% identified vulnerability exploitation as a growing threat.

However, when it came to ransomware, just 54% saw rising risk levels, compared with 39% who expressed a neutral opinion, while the remainder of the respondents, approximately 7%, said the risk from ransomware actually decreased in 2025.

“Cyber security risk in 2026 is accelerating, fuelled by advances in AI, deepening geopolitical fragmentation and the complexity of supply chains,” wrote WEF managing director Jeremy Jurgens in the report’s preamble.

“These shifts are compounded by the enduring sovereignty dilemma and widespread cyber inequity, two factors that expose systemic vulnerabilities. The result is a threat environment where the speed and scale of attacks are testing the limits of traditional defences.”

AI risk factors

Digging deeper into some of the risk factors arising from AI, the C-suite said that data leaks, followed by advancing adversarial capabilities, were the most pressing concerns, followed by the technical security of AI systems, increasingly complex governance, legal risks around intellectual property and liability, and software supply chain and code development concerns.

Notably, the top two concerns swapped places in the 2026 report compared with last year – with 34% most concerned about data exposure this year compared with 22% in 2025, while the percentage of those most concerned about adversarial capabilities fell from 47% last year to 29% this year.

This likely reflects a changing, potentially maturing, attitude to AI risk, and the WEF said it was looking to a “turning point” in the AI risk landscape this year.

It said that even though the AI arms race between defenders and attackers shows no signs of slowing, attention is pivoting from “offensive innovation” towards less noisy – but arguably more dangerous – factors.

Some of the other data points in the report also appear to bear this out, with C-suite executives doubling down on structured processes and governance models to better manage AI.

Quoted in the report, Josephine Teo, Singapore’s minister for digital development and information and minister-in-charge of the country’s Cyber Security Agency and Smart Nation Group, said: “Developments in AI are reshaping multiple domains, including cyber security. Implemented well, these technologies can assist and support human operators in detecting, defending and responding to cyber threats.

“However, they can also pose serious risks such as data leaks, cyber attacks and online harms if they malfunction, or are misused.”

Teo urged a more forward-looking, practical and collaborative approach to the safe development and use of rapidly evolving tech such as AI.

“The risks transcend borders, and the challenge is to maximise AI’s benefits, including to strengthen our cyber resilience, while minimising its risks,” she said.

Ransomware still a live threat

However, despite the headline risks detailed in the WEF’s report, the ransomware threat has not gone away – as demonstrated by many of the most well-documented cyber attacks to have taken place in 2025, most of which were still ultimately driven by extortion.

Indeed, among those who identified as CISOs, ransomware remained the leading risk concern. While CEOs concern themselves more with broader business impacts of cyber crime, CISOs are understandably consumed by the operational disruption a successful ransomware attack can cause.

This may go some way to explaining the elevated concerns over cyber fraud revealed by the WEF’s data.

A total of 77% of respondents said they had seen an increase in cyber-enabled fraud and phishing, and 72% revealed that either they themselves or someone in their professional or personal networks had been affected by it – the most common forms of attack reported were phishing, payment fraud and identity theft.



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Snag a Feature-Packed Gaming Headset for Under $100

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January 12, 2026

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Snag a Feature-Packed Gaming Headset for Under 0


Looking for a wallet-friendly gaming headset with big feature support? The Corsair Void Wireless V2 is currently marked down to just $80 at both Best Buy and Amazon, a healthy $50 discount from its usual retail price. This lightweight yet capable gaming headset was already a great buy before the discount, with wide compatibility and a comfortable design built for long grinds.

It’s one of the more comfortable gaming headsets I’ve had the opportunity to review, thanks to a combination of its super lightweight build and breathable mesh ear cups, and it even fits my oversized noggin. Because there’s no active noise canceling, it has a much more open and natural sound profile, which is nice for anyone who needs to remain aware of their surroundings while deep in a round of Arc Raiders.

One of the big selling points is Dolby Atmos, a spatial audio implementation that’s fairly uncommon at this price point, and basically unheard of at the marked down price. It’s only supported in a handful of games, but even without it the headset has great spatial audio support that I found particularly good for games like Satisfactory, where it’s more of an immersive addition than a mechanical benefit.

Where a lot of headsets will lock you down to one or two consoles, the Corsair Void Wireless V2 is happy to work with a wide variety of systems, thanks to both Bluetooth and low-latency 2.4 GHz via the USB dongle. That means you can game on PC, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and even iOS/Android for mobile gaming. With a claimed battery life of up to 70 hours in ideal conditions, you won’t need to worry about charging often, although I’m not sure the mesh ear cups would be great for a long flight.

While the Corsair Void Wireless V2 is featured in our best gaming headsets roundup, other headsets undercut it at the same price point. With the discount, I’m very happy to recommend the Corsair over some of the other picks, particularly if you have a bigger head or prefer a less isolating experience than what some of the other headsets provide.



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We Found the Best Travel Cameras You’ll Actually Use on Vacation

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January 12, 2026

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We Found the Best Travel Cameras You’ll Actually Use on Vacation


If I were buying a camera today, this is the body I would get, travel or otherwise. The A7C R is one of the smallest full-frame, interchangeable-lens cameras on the market. This is why it’s our top pick for travelers in our guide to the Best Mirrorless Cameras. The 61-MP sensor offers amazing detail and very good dynamic range (14.7 EV). The super fast autofocus system is among the best you’ll find in mirrorless camera, and there’s great subject tracking as well, making it perfect for shooting fast-moving scenes on the go.

While Sony’s R series cameras are mainly for high resolution still images, the video specs here are solid enough for the casual video user, with support for 4K/60 fps video in full-frame mode (1.2X crop) or oversampled 4K/30 fps video. Both support 10-bit 4:2 color depth, various Log formats, and even 16-bit RAW output to an external recorder.

My main gripe about the A7C R is the same as it was in my initial review. The viewfinder is cramped and low-resolution (2.36 million dots). It’s not a deal breaker for me, but it’s something to keep in mind and good reason to rent a camera before you invest.

The big question with this camera is, which lens do you pair it with for travel? There’s a compelling argument to be made for the Sony FE 24-105-mm f/4 G ($1,398), which gives you everything from wide to portrait with a little bit of extra reach as well. Another great option if you like primes is the Sony 40-mm f2.5 G ($798), which makes for a compact kit, and 40-mm is a surprisingly great focal length for travel in my experience.

★ Alternative: At $2,198, Sony’s A7C II (note, no R) is a bit cheaper. It uses Sony’s smaller 33-MP sensor but is otherwise very close in size and capabilities, with considerably more video chops than the A7C R. If you want to make videos as well as stills, the A7C II is a better choice.



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Eutelsat extends Airbus contract for further low Earth orbit OneWeb satellites | Computer Weekly

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12 hours ago

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January 12, 2026

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Eutelsat extends Airbus contract for further low Earth orbit OneWeb satellites | Computer Weekly


As the space communications industry shows no signs of slowing down this year following on from a robust 2025, Airbus Defence and Space has been awarded a contract by operator Eutelsat to build 340 low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites to ensure operational continuity of the OneWeb constellation.

OneWeb formed in 2012 with the aim of addressing the communication needs of hard-to-reach places, stating that its network has a unique capability to serve hard-to-reach communities and provide improved capacity, mobile resilience, backhaul and coverage, including Fixed Wireless Access, in challenging geographic locations.

However, the company’s evolution was a struggle and OneWeb filed for bankruptcy in the US in March 2020 after failing to find private investment. It was rescued by a $500m investment from both the UK government and Bharti Global, and returned to business in December 2020 with a 36-satellite payload, with an aim to implement a constellation of 650 LEO satellites with a network of global gateway stations and a range of user terminals. These were seen as a way to provide an affordable, fast, high-bandwidth and low-latency communications service, connected to internet of things (IoT) devices, and a pathway for mass adoption of 5G services.

In September 2021, OneWeb confirmed the completion of substantial investment by French satellite operator Eutelsat, as part of the latter’s strategy of looking for growth beyond traditional broadcast and broadband applications, with it becoming a shareholder partner. Less than a year later, Eutelsat entered into merger with OneWeb.

Flying in 12 synchronised orbital planes 1,200km above the Earth, OneWeb LEO satellite network currently delivers high-speed, low-latency connectivity on a global basis. Airbus believes that the availability of these latest satellites will assure full operational continuity for customers of the constellation, progressively replacing early batches coming to end of operational life. 

Looking to achieve its objectives, Eutelsat procured a batch of 100 Airbus Space satellites in December 2024, taking the total number of satellites ordered by Eutelsat to 440. These new satellites will be manufactured at Airbus Defence and Space’s Toulouse facility on a newly installed production line, with delivery from the end of 2026. Airbus said this represents a further step for European sovereignty.

The new craft will integrate technology upgrades including advanced digital channelisers, enabling enhanced onboard processing capabilities as well as greater efficiency and flexibility, according to the company. Airbus added that it will incorporate optimised architecture designed to maximise long-term operational performance.

With these latest satellites, Eutelsat will also be evaluating opportunities for new business cases, notably through embarkation capabilities for hosted payloads.

Commenting on the new contract, Eutelsat CEO Jean-François Fallacher said: “We are pleased to rely on our long-standing partner, Airbus, for the procurement of these latest satellites. They ensure service continuity for the growing number of our customers and distribution partners benefiting from the unparalleled performance of our ubiquitous, low-latency LEO capacity, and enable us to pursue our growth path.”

Alain Fauré, head of space systems in Airbus, added: “This latest contract from Eutelsat is an endorsement of our design and manufacturing expertise for LEO satellites. Airbus has been a key partner and supplier to Eutelsat for more than 30 years and this award further cements our important relationship.”



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