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Cyber Security Risk Outlook
2026 CYBER RISK TRENDS REPORT
LRQA's Cyber Security Risk Outlook 2026 draws on insights from 133 organisations actively managing cyber security risk, including LRQA clients across a wide range of sectors and geographies. The report reflects the lived experience of organisations navigating evolving threat landscapes, growing regulatory expectations and the rising pressure to prove resilience with evidence, not just intention. It highlights where controls are progressing, where the greatest opportunities to strengthen assurance sit, and what leaders need to do now to stay ahead.
Key takeaways: where the risk is and where the opportunity lies
- Ransomware remains the dominant operational concern, cited by 57% of organisations, but it increasingly represents the final stage of broader attack chains that begin with phishing, credential compromise or third-party access. Organisations that invest in identity controls, network segmentation and tested recovery capability are best placed to limit its impact.
- AI-driven cyber attacks are already viewed as a near-term accelerant by 43% of respondents. For organisations that establish AI governance and controls early, this is an opportunity to get ahead of a threat that is still developing.
- 74% of organisations impose no cyber risk assessment requirements on Tier-1 suppliers, yet 32% cite supply chain vulnerabilities as a top concern. Formalising supplier oversight now reduces systemic exposure and increasingly meets the expectations of customers, insurers and regulators.
- 25% of organisations never conduct independent cyber assessments and 31% have an incident response plan that has never been tested. Independent validation and rehearsed response are where assurance credibility is built and where LRQA can help organisations move from confidence based on assumption to confidence based on evidence.
- Investment is strengthening, with 50% of organisations increasing cyber budgets in the last 12 months. The opportunity is to direct that investment toward validation and assurance, not just control deployment.
Turn risk into opportunity.
