Cybersecurity in 2025: A Battle of Intertwined Interests
Author: Dr. Khaled Walid Mahmoud
Cybersecurity is no longer merely a technical issue handled by IT departments in institutions and universities; it has become a strategic matter that affects national security, economic stability, and the global geopolitical balance.
As the reliance on digital technologies increases, so do the threats targeting cyberspace. Cyberattacks have become part of nations’ influence tools, systems of economic extortion, and even methods to destabilize societies.
Today, the issue of “cybersecurity” is no longer limited to data protection or preventing breaches. It has turned into an open battlefield where economic and geopolitical interests intertwine. The digital infrastructure of states and large corporations has become a key arena for conflict among both traditional and new actors — whether nations, organized criminal groups, or even individuals equipped with technological tools capable of exploiting cyber vulnerabilities.
One of the major challenges facing cybersecurity today is the widening gap between large and small institutions in their ability to withstand cyberattacks. What complicates the matter even further is the continuous expansion of the gap between defensive and offensive capabilities in cyberspace, making attacks more sophisticated and harder to detect or contain.
In this context, the Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2025 report, issued by the World Economic Forum in cooperation with Accenture, reveals a highly complex reality where geopolitical tensions overlap with technological developments. The report highlights growing disparities between large and small organizations, the rise of AI-driven cyberattacks, and inconsistent regulatory frameworks that make tackling these challenges even more difficult.
The report does not only identify risks but also sheds light on future trends that will reshape cybersecurity strategies, offering deep insights into how organizations and governments can adapt to this evolving reality.
One of the report’s key findings is the widening gap between large and small organizations’ ability to withstand cyberattacks. While major corporations possess advanced financial and technical resources to enhance their cyber defenses, small and medium-sized enterprises lack the capacity to keep up with the escalation of threats, making them weak links exploited to compromise entire supply chains.
Statistics show that 35% of small organizations believe their ability to resist cyberattacks is insufficient — a figure that reflects a growing gap compared to previous years.
According to estimates by Markets and Markets, the global cybersecurity industry was valued at approximately $190.5 billion in 2023. Data from The Business Research Company shows that spending on cybersecurity rose to $243.15 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach $267 billion by the end of 2025.
This rapid growth reflects the increasing awareness of cybersecurity’s importance and the rising scale of threats, pushing governments and corporations to intensify investments in protecting digital infrastructure and ensuring business continuity in an increasingly complex digital environment.
The World Economic Forum’s report also emphasized the expanding role of artificial intelligence in reshaping the cybersecurity landscape — a double-edged sword that acts both as a defensive tool and a powerful weapon in the hands of attackers.
With the rise of generative AI technologies, cyberattacks have become more sophisticated and precise, particularly in phishing and social engineering schemes that rely on deepfake techniques to deceive individuals and extract sensitive information.
According to the report, 72% of organizations have witnessed a surge in cyberattacks, with ransomware continuing to top the list of threats. Attackers increasingly exploit AI’s advanced capabilities to develop infiltration and hacking methods, making defense more complicated and reinforcing the need for more advanced cybersecurity strategies.
Geopolitical tensions also play a central role in reshaping the global cyber threat map. As confrontations among major powers escalate, cybersecurity has become an unconventional battleground. Nations now use cyberattacks for espionage, disrupting critical infrastructure, or even undermining rival economies.
The World Economic Forum report indicates that 60% of organizations have been forced to modify their cybersecurity strategies due to rising geopolitical tensions. The focus has shifted toward building more flexible and adaptive defense strategies in a volatile environment.
This interconnected cyber reality reflects the transformation of cybersecurity into a dynamic battlefield that requires rethinking traditional protection approaches. With the growing gap between defensive and offensive capabilities, passive fortification alone is no longer sufficient. Cybersecurity has evolved into a field that demands adaptive strategies aligned with technological and geopolitical developments.
In this evolving context, artificial intelligence emerges as a pivotal factor — not only in enhancing defense mechanisms but also in elevating the scale of threats, triggering an ongoing race between attackers and defenders.
Moreover, the cross-border nature of cyberattacks imposes additional challenges. The lack of effective coordination among nations and institutions makes it difficult to contain risks before they escalate into large-scale crises.
At the same time, the growing reliance on cyber simulation and training environments reflects increasing recognition of the need to test attack scenarios before they occur. This shift transforms cybersecurity from a reactive response to an ongoing, proactive process that requires predictive capabilities and adaptability to ever-changing threat patterns.
Against this complex backdrop arises an important question: Where do Arab countries stand in all this? Despite the challenges facing the Arab world in the field of cybersecurity, there are promising signs. Many Arab nations, particularly in the Gulf, have successfully positioned themselves as key players, achieving high international rankings due to their substantial investments in digital infrastructure and security systems.
Recognizing that cybersecurity is no longer just a technical issue but an integral part of their national strategies for safeguarding economic and sovereign interests, these countries have developed advanced defensive capabilities and adapted to evolving threats.
Nevertheless, the greatest challenge remains in developing dynamic, responsive security frameworks capable of addressing the rapid transformations in cyberspace — a domain that now extends beyond technology into political, economic, and geostrategic dimensions.
To conclude, as digital transformation continues to accelerate, the cybersecurity battle will not simply be a technological arms race but a test of nations’ and institutions’ ability to survive in a world where the definitions of power and security are being redefined.
Technology imposes new rules of conflict, and the players are no longer just powerful nations but also non-state actors and cyber groups with tools capable of launching complex operations.
In this regard, it becomes essential to adopt balanced cybersecurity policies that combine the development of both defensive and offensive capabilities while fostering innovation in security solutions — ensuring that cyberspace does not devolve into an uncontrollable arena of chaos.