International SOS has published its 10th annual Risk Outlook report, providing insights into the evolving and emerging security and health risk challenges facing organizations and their workforces in 2026.
The research confirms the continuous and rapid increase and convergence of risks and threats. In parallel, it highlights that this is placing heavy demand on the pace of preparedness required to protect employees and operations.
Key findings include:
- Nearly six in ten leaders (57%) reported that new risks are emerging faster than they can manage. 74% said that the window for critical decision-making is shrinking, and only 35% are confident they can mobilise teams rapidly.
- Although 80% believe that detecting risks quickly provides an advantage, only 20% reported that they feel confident in verifying risk information at pace.
- Nearly half (49%) note that risks are increasingly interconnected and converging, requiring joint security and medical responses.
- Uncertainty is rising sharply, with 66% of organizations saying it has grown significantly in the past year. Geopolitical instability is the top driver, cited by 47% of respondents. Cybercrime ranks second, yet other digital threats are being underestimated: only 14% of respondents identified misinformation and disinformation as significant sources of uncertainty, despite their growing potential to disrupt operations and erode trust.
- Take-up of technology that could help mitigate these challenges is seemingly low. Despite widespread attention on artificial intelligence, just 6% of organizations view AI as important for risk management, suggesting missed opportunities to harness its capabilities.
