Artificial Intelligence AI has transformed attacks on supply chains from opportunistic breaches into highly adaptive, large-scale assaults. A 2025 Cybersecurity Ventures report finds supply chain breaches have risen 40 since 2023, causing companies billions in damages. The World Economic Forums Global Cybersecurity Outlook reports that 54 of large organisations view supply chain vulnerabilities as the main obstacle to improved cyber-resilience, citing complex digital dependencies and limited supplier visibility. Tech-savvy hackers are having a field day deploying AI to amplify the sophistication, speed and accuracy of their attacks, according to a blog by cyber risk management company Risk Ledger. AI can help attackers to very quickly identify weak points in supply chain networks and launch attacks at scale with minimal effort, it adds. As organisations digitise operations and integrate AI into logistics, finance and vendor management, attackers are using the same tools to identify weak links and exploit them faster than ever, says Rodrigo Fernandez, head of growth at NeuralTrust, which describes itself as an official European Union AI Security Champion. The Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026 survey warns that physical AI is becoming a security concern, as intelligent robots such as those now used for order-picking in warehouses or moving containers in ports evolve from simple machines to adaptive systems, making their behaviour less predictable and more vulnerable to compromised learning processes or control software. Securing these systems requires embedded cybersecurity by design, strong access controls for humanrobot interaction and continuous monitoring to maintain operational integrity. Suppliers also pose a risk. The survey found that inheritance risk the inability to assure the integrity of third-party software, hardware and services is the top supply chain risk, followed by visibility. Even when strong internal controls are in place, the weakest link is frequently a supplier or partner with lower cybersecurity maturity. This is especially acute with smaller suppliers, who may lack the resources or incentives to implement robust security measures, it states. The backbone of the AI revolution is also under threat, according to Doreen Bogdan-Martin, secretary- general of the International Telecommunications Union. Our digital world runs through cables lying deep beneath the oceans surface. With 99 of international data traffic flowing through them, these undersea systems are the unseen lifelines of our global economy and they are also uniquely vulnerable. A single break can disrupt essential services and daily life for billions. Building true resilience means moving from awareness to action: faster repairs, more diverse routes and international cooperation that matches the critical nature of these assets. ER
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