A new report has outlined risk scenarios on earth, at sea, and in space, raising concern about the fragility of global interconnected digital systems and offering a roadmap for preparedness.
The report, tagged: ‘When Digital Systems Fail—The Hidden Risks of Our Digital World’, is a joint expert effort put together by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), and Sciences Po.
The experts highlighted resilience as the cornerstone of digital infrastructure stability and called for coordinated action between countries to improve digital resilience and protect essential services like healthcare, finance, and emergency response.
The experts were of the view that solar storms, submarine cable cuts, satellite disruptions, and extreme weather could disrupt communication networks and potentially trigger a ‘digital pandemic’ globally, based on identified critical vulnerabilities in the world’s interconnected systems.
Highlighting the risks of digital dependency, the report said: “Digital technologies have revolutionised how we live, connect, and work, yet our growing reliance on these systems has created risks that often go unnoticed. A severe solar storm could disable satellites, disrupt navigation systems, and destabilise energy grids, with recovery times measured in months. Extreme temperatures could overwhelm data centers, leading to mobile service outages, as well as failures in healthcare systems and financial transactions. In the meantime, earthquakes or other natural hazards can sever vital internet connections, slowing business operations and leaving entire nations offline for weeks.”
The report therefore called on policymakers, the private sector, and civil society to act now to prevent these risks from becoming a ‘digital pandemic’, urging for global commitment and coordinated action.
ITU Secretary-General, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, said: “Resilience must be built into the DNA of the technologies we depend on. The report urges us to consider the systemic nature of risks and rethink how we protect the systems that connect and empower humanity.”
Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head of UNDRR, Kamal Kishore, said: “As our societies become more reliant on digital technologies, disruptions caused by disasters can cascade across systems and borders, triggering far‑reaching and potentially catastrophic failures. We must plan, build and maintain digital infrastructure with systemic risk in mind – now and for the future. Digital infrastructure must be resilient infrastructure.”
Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs at Sciences Po, Arancha González, said: “Facing systemic risks means looking beyond data and working across disciplines. The report shows how evidence-based policymaking can help us build resilience in an increasingly interconnected world.”
Experts that authored the report however suggested six priorities for safeguarding critical digital infrastructure to include: Knowledge deepening; Modernising risk management; Strengthening standards and planning; Improving coordination on critical risks; Building societal resilience; and Fostering trust and collaboration.
According to the report, in knowledge deepening, countries must identify vulnerabilities, map cross-sector dependencies, develop models for potential chain reactions, and maintain analogue skills.
In the area of modernising risk management, the report said countries must treat non‑intentional digital disruptions as a core risk by updating legal and disaster‑risk frameworks and incentives.
For strengthening standards and planning, the report said countries should establish robust fallback systems and conduct joint multi‑sector scenario planning.
On how to improve coordination on critical risks, the report advised countries to proactively coordinate on high‑impact risks affecting space weather, submarine cables, satellites, and data centres.
In the area of building societal resilience, the report also advised countries to equip communities and organisations to withstand and recover from digital disruptions by fostering adaptive capacities.
In the area of fostering trust and collaboration, the report said countries must build capacity, convene stakeholders, and promote shared awareness and accountability across sectors and borders.
The report findings were drawn from the result of a collaborative process involving experts from 12 countries, representing national authorities, the private sector, academia and international organisations.