Risk in Focus 2026/2027
Cybersecurity remains the leading concern for organisations across Europe, but digital disruption, AI, and macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty are rapidly reshaping how organisations identify, assess and respond to risk. At the same time, many internal audit functions are grappling with a critical challenge: ensuring audit plans keep pace with increasingly interconnected and fast-moving threats.
The newly published Risk in Focus 2026/27 report provides insights from 797 Chief Audit Executives (CAEs) across Europe, making it one of the most comprehensive assessments of the risks facing organisations today.
The new edition consists of two complementary publications: Risk in Focus 2026/2027 : Hot Topics for Internal Auditors and the Risk in Focus 2026/2027 Board Briefing.
The findings reveal:
- 86 % of CAEs identified cybersecurity and data security as a top five risk.
- Digital disruption, new technologies and AI rose to second place, with governance and assurance struggling to keep pace with innovation.
- Macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty climbed to third place, despite relatively low levels of risk maturity and audit attention.
- Many leading internal audit functions are moving away from traditional annual planning and adopting more agile, dynamic approaches to assurance.
The report also includes practical insights from CAE roundtables across Europe, highlighting how organisations are responding to AI adoption, cyber resilience, geopolitical volatility and the increasing need for dynamic governance models.
Whether you are reviewing your audit plan, advising the board, or preparing for emerging risks in 2027 and beyond, Risk in Focus provides valuable benchmarking, practical examples and thought-provoking insights to support your work.
Download the report today and discover how leading CAEs are adapting to an increasingly uncertain and interconnected risk environment: Full Report and/or Board Briefing
