Hamish Monk

Cybercrime is a behemoth — morphing into a more organised and advanced industry by the day. According to a recent Nasdaq Verafin report, cyber and artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled fraud is now the top threat facing bank customers. In 2025, global losses to cyber-enabled scams — including business email compromise (BEC), phishing, and data breaches – hit $14.3bn, representing an annualised growth rate of nearly 20% over two years.

The Great Wealth Transfer is a multi-decade hand-down of trillions of dollars in assets, from the Baby Boomer generation to Millennials and Gen X. Experts predict that between 2030-2050 around $20-80 trillion will change hands. This compels financial institutions (FIs) to transform how they deliver services. With some of these assets already working their way down the generations, transfers are slated to peak by 2035 in the form of property, businesses, pensions, and other investments.

In open, hot warfare, the aim of combatants is to cripple the enemy’s economy and force surrender — especially when military victory is beyond reach. This is an age-old strategy, deployed since the budding of civilisations, the domestication of plants and animals for food, and the emergence of trade.