Global Risks That Could Affect Church Security

A contested multipolar landscape is emerging worldwide where confrontation is replacing collaboration, and trust—the currency of cooperation—is losing its value. That’s the conclusion of the World Economic Forum‘s (WEF) Global Risks Report 2026 (PDF).

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While the annual report’s intent is to inform secular leaders making policy decisions, it can be of interest to church security teams to help prepare for possible social unrest that could affect the safety of their churches and congregants.

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It posits that societal and political disruption may deepen over the next two years as technology becomes more embedded in daily life and geoeconomic tensions persist, heightening the risks of increased digital distrust and social confrontation.

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Misinformation and disinformation, societal polarization, state-based armed conflict, and cyber insecurity, all identified as worsening, could lead to conflict and danger for Christians and church events.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, What You Should Know to Prepare for Mobs Invading Church Services ]

The Global Risks Report 2026 draws on the views of over 1,300 global leaders and specialists from academia, business, government, international organizations, and civil society. It identifies and analyzes the most pressing risks across three timeframes: immediate (2026); short-to-medium term (the next two years); and long term (the next 10 years).

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In the near term, armed conflict, the weaponization of economic tools, and societal fragmentation are colliding. As these immediate risks intensify, longer-term challenges, from adverse outcomes of AI technologies to insufficient public infrastructure and social protections, are also creating knock-on effects.

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“Undersea communication cables can be cut; satellites can be jammed; drones can threaten critical facilities. Access to essential resources—food, water, energy—can be weaponized in geopolitical disputes,” says Peter Giger, group chief risk officer, Zurich Insurance Group.

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“Digitalization is morphing this into a hybrid threat, with cyber insecurity also among the top 10 risks over the next decade. Connected infrastructure, such as grids, ports and pipelines, offer a wider attack surface for both criminal groups and state-linked actors. A successful cyberattack on an energy system or air traffic control network, for example, can have cascading effects far beyond the initial point of failure, amplifying other physical or geopolitical shocks.

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Half of those surveyed for the report anticipate a turbulent or stormy world over the next two years, up 14 percentage points from last year. A further 40% expect the two-year outlook to be unsettled at the very least, while 9% expect stability and 1% predict calm. When it comes to the outlook for the next 10 years, 57% expect a turbulent or stormy world, 32% expect things to be unsettled, 10% predict stability and 1% anticipate calm.

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