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Perception vs Reality

Perception vs Reality

Since 2021, we have been tracking how business leaders around the world view four major cyber and technology risks. Each year, we ask executives to identify the risk that concerns them most today - and to predict which one will top their list 12 months from now.

The findings are revealing: despite an accelerating digital risk landscape, executives’ levels of concern remain remarkably steady, and their forecasts about future risks are surprisingly accurate.

Tech disruption risk

Perceptions of tech disruption risk remain stable, with levels holding in a tight 23–25% range and only 2021 and 2022 standing out as higher outliers. This suggests that businesses now view tech disruption as a steady, manageable background risk rather than a volatile or escalating threat.

Tech obsolescence risk

Similarly, perceptions of tech obsolescence risk show little movement over time. This stability suggests businesses see tech obsolescence as a constant, predictable risk that they need to constantly manage rather than a rising threat.

Cyber risk

Cyber risk concern eased from a peak in 2021 (34%) post a surge in ransomware attacks, to 26% in 2024. This year (2026) we have seen a rebound to 31%, with forecasts tracking closely to reality, but in the past two years the reality has proved more risky than predicted.

Intellectual property risk

Risk perception around intellectual property (IP) risk rose sharply from a low in 2021, and have since stabilised at 23–24%, with predictions closely mirroring actual levels. This suggests businesses now see IP protection as a consistently important competitive concern, rather than a fluctuating or emerging risk.

Tech disruption risk

Tech obsolescence risk

Cyber risk

Intellectual property risk

The statistics in these charts are drawn from our annual Risk & Resilience Surveys, conducted since 2021. Initially focused on UK and US respondents, the survey expanded in 2022 to include Canada and Singapore, and in 2024 France, Germany and Spain were added. This year’s survey, conducted between 05.01.26 and 13.01.26, used the same sample base as 2024.