World faces risk of catastrophic cyber attack, says WEF: Here is what we know

June 10, 2025 by News Desk

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has renewed its stark warning that the world may soon face a catastrophic cyber attack—one with the potential to cripple entire economies, infrastructure, and societies.

In its Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2025 and recent briefings, the WEF noted that global vulnerabilities are deepening, especially with the rise of AI-driven threats, deteriorating international cooperation, and outdated critical systems. As of mid-2025, more than 45% of global organizations say they are not prepared for a large-scale cyber incident, particularly one that disrupts national infrastructure or financial systems.

This warning comes at a time when the mysterious disappearance of Xiaofeng Wang, a prominent cybersecurity expert and professor at Indiana University already unsettles the world. Wang vanished in March 2025 after simultaneous raids on his homes by the FBI and Department of Homeland Security.

Although no charges were filed, Indiana University abruptly terminated his and his wife’s employment, scrubbed their digital presence, and has remained silent on the reasons. Wang’s academic focus—on cryptographic systems and cybersecurity—has prompted speculation that his disappearance may be related to wider investigations into national security or even global cyber preparedness.

While there is no confirmed link between Wang’s disappearance and any global cyber threat, the timing has raised concerns. The secrecy of the sealed federal warrants and his erasure from public academic records have drawn comparisons to national security cases of the past. Leading cybersecurity experts have described the case as deeply abnormal, warning that such opaque state actions against a scientist with ties to sensitive systems might reflect broader unease about potential vulnerabilities—especially in the context of strained U.S.-China digital relations.

The WEF has warned that we may be sleepwalking into a crisis. Its cyber threat briefings have drawn parallels to its own experience in 2019, when it listed “infectious diseases” as a top global risk months before the COVID-19 pandemic emerged.

That same year, the WEF co-hosted “Event 201”—a pandemic simulation exercise that eerily resembled the early days of COVID-19. Although not a prediction, the exercise showed how unprepared the world was. The WEF now suggests the world could be similarly caught off guard by a digital catastrophe, stressing that just as with pandemics, the time to prepare is before the event—not in the middle of it.

A massive cyber incident could result in mass blackouts, financial shutdowns, compromised healthcare systems, and widespread panic. Insurers like Munich Re have warned that the financial losses would be incalculable and likely beyond the capacity of private insurers to cover. Regulatory responses like the EU’s NIS2 directive and DORA framework are being rushed into effect, but enforcement and adaptation remain uneven. Meanwhile, the global cyber workforce remains stretched thin, especially in the public sector.

As the WEF, cybersecurity leaders, and investigative journalists continue to sound the alarm, the convergence of advanced AI, geopolitical friction, and opaque government actions—like those surrounding the Wang case—point to a future where the line between national security, cyber resilience, and civil liberties becomes increasingly blurred.

The lesson from the pandemic, many experts say, is painfully clear: warnings ignored are warnings repeated. And this time, the fallout may be digital—but just as devastating.