Why trust is your greatest asset in a digital-first world

Trust is now a boardroom priority. To thrive in a digital-first economy, leaders must go beyond compliance and embed digital trust at the heart of strategy

The big storm ahead

The environment in which organisations operate has changed beyond recognition.

Even as organisations strengthen their trust position, the pressures are only set to intensify. Three converging forces will shape the years ahead: 

• Regulatory acceleration: Governments worldwide are moving fast to regulate AI, data use, digital identity and cross-border flows. In Europe, the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) places explicit accountability on boards for ICT resilience,1 while in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia’s National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) requires boards to adopt formal cyber governance frameworks as part of Vision 2030’s digital transformation agenda2Additionally, the Sumood Index sets clear expectations for supply chain resilience, signalling that regulators see trusted, disruption-ready supply chains as central to national security and economic stability

• Geopolitical fragmentation: Data localisation, digital sovereignty and supply-chain decoupling are forcing companies to rethink where and how they operate. This will test trust with partners and customers alike

• Technological upheaval: Quantum computing, real-time AI and ubiquitous 5G (and soon 6G) connectivity are reshaping cyber strategy. As quantum capability edges toward viability and AI systems update in near real time, data volumes and flows multiply, threat complexity rises and the attack surface expands. Adversaries are getting more sophisticated, fast. In the Middle East, many organisations are already piloting quantum-resistant controls – a clear signal that leaders know tomorrow’s security will demand more.  

Globally, there is a growing surge in expectations from customers, regulators and employees. They are all demanding more visibility, more accountability and more fairness. The organisations that lead will be those that see digital trust not as a defensive shield, but as a growth strategy.

These global shifts are being felt in the Middle East, which now ranks second globally for the average cost of a data breach, estimated at over US$7m per incident.3 

Regional executives are responding. PwC Middle East’s latest survey ‘2026 Digital Trust Insights: Middle East findings’ reveals that 80% of organisations in the Middle East say their cyber budgets will increase in 2026, which is a sign that leaders recognise digital trust as a core investment rather than a discretionary cost.

Many are also rethinking trade or operating policies (45%) or cyber insurance policies (39%) in response to the current geopolitical landscape. Yet despite these steps, the threat remains close: only 17% of organisations in the region say they have avoided a data breach in the past three years.

Beyond the checklist – why boards must focus on trust

For years, many organisations and their boards approached cyber risk through compliance checklists and audit reports. But being secure is no longer the right benchmark. The real question is whether people trust the organisation to operate in a digital world. 

You can have leading-edge detection systems and response plans yet still face public backlash over how you use data. Equally, you can comply with every regulation and still be seen as careless or opaque. Trust includes transparency, fairness, resilience, accountability and ethics. It spans the entire organisation, from how products are designed to how crises are handled.

Consider two examples. A bank may deploy AI algorithms that are technically secure, yet customers may still perceive bias in loan approvals. Or a manufacturer may contain a cyber incident quickly but lose confidence through poor communication. Both show that security alone does not guarantee trust. 

PwC Middle East’s report, Voice of the tech-savvy consumer, illustrates how high a priority this now should be for corporations, with 85% of consumers in the Middle East prioritising the protection of customer data as the most crucial factor for earning trust, slightly higher than the global average of 83%.

Our research shows that over half (53%) of organisations admit they lack knowledge in applying AI for cyber defence, while many cite unclear risk appetite (44%) or leadership uncertainty on the value of AI (40%). And one of the biggest barriers to digital trust is fragmentation: privacy often sits with legal, resilience with operations and security with IT. This fractured model creates duplication and blurred accountability. Trust can only be built when leaders break down silos so that security, resilience and integrity reinforce each other instead of competing.

Yet while many organisations are still reacting to threats, a smaller group of leaders are moving ahead by treating digital trust as a source of competitive advantage.

Innovation without fear – IoT and critical infrastructure

Nowhere is the balance between innovation and security more critical than in the growing convergence of operational technology (OT), internet of things (IoT) and traditional IT environments. Smart cities, national utilities and oil and gas infrastructure are increasingly powered by billions of connected sensors and control systems. These create vast opportunities for efficiency, sustainability and citizen experience – but they also expand the attack surface in ways that traditional security models were never designed to handle.

For boards, this raises a sharper question: how do you enable experimentation and innovation with IoT in a way that strengthens rather than weakens resilience? The answer lies in embedding digital trust principles early. When security is integrated at the design stage, organisations can unlock safe experimentation with smart grids, connected transport or industrial automation without exposing citizens or critical services to unnecessary risk. The organisations that do this well will not only demonstrate regulatory resilience but also accelerate their ability to scale innovation confidently across critical national infrastructure.

What leading organisations are doing differently

Although we might not label it explicitly, what is emerging is a digital trust operating model – a joined-up way of working that runs across the organisation. It starts with leadership, where boards take ownership of trust and link it directly to strategic goals. It is reinforced by culture, as employees are empowered and rewarded for the behaviours that build resilience and integrity. It is underpinned by technology and data systems that are not only secure, but also ethical, transparent and accountable. And it is sustained through active engagement with regulators, customers and partners, where communication is open and values-driven.

This approach shifts organisations away from a defensive, compliance-led stance and towards a proactive, trust-led one. It positions digital trust not as a cost or constraint, but as an asset that fuels growth.

The most forward-looking organisations are treating digital trust as a core business strategy. Five trends stand out:

1. Making trust measurable: Corporate boards and organisation leaders are starting to treat trust like any other KPI. They track metrics around customer perception, employee confidence, regulator satisfaction and partner resilience. These measures sit alongside financial and operational indicators, giving a real-time picture of trust health. When asked what is driving their cyber spend priorities, more than half (52%) of Middle East executives in our survey cite data protection and data trust as a key factor – ahead of technology modernisation (40%) and optimisation of existing investments (35%). This shows that trust is already influencing where budgets are directed

2. Creating digital trust councils: Cross-functional councils bring together IT, legal, compliance, product, HR and marketing leaders to oversee trust holistically. This breaks down silos and ensures decisions are consistent

3. Embedding trust in product design: From the earliest stages of innovation, teams ask: Is this fair? Is this explainable? Is this resilient? Security and privacy are built in, not bolted on. Trust is a design principle, not an afterthought

4. Simplifying the frontline experience: Employees who interact with risk and compliance – whether in sales, customer service or supply chain – are given tools and processes that make it easy to do the right thing. 

5. Leading from the top: Trust is championed by the CEO and board chair, not delegated to the CISO or CIO. This signals that digital trust is not just a technical issue, but a strategic imperative that comes from the top

Where to start – five actions for boards now

1. Put digital trust on the agenda: Every board meeting should consider the trust implications of strategy and operations. It is not just the domain of the risk committee; it belongs in the main boardroom
2. Define trust metrics: Decide what matters most to your stakeholders and track it. This might include customer sentiment, regulator relationships, incident transparency or employee surveys
3. Establish cross-functional ownership: Set up a digital trust council or equivalent structure to break silos and bring coherence to decisions
4. Elevate the CISO’s role: Boards are beginning to recognise that the CISO must evolve from a technical defender into a Cybersecurity and Digital Trust Ambassador. This is not a new job title, but a new mandate. The “ambassador” acts as a business enabler – orchestrating security, privacy and resilience efforts across the enterprise, translating technical risks into business language and championing trust at the leadership table. By convening risk, legal, technology and operational leaders, the Ambassador ensures that trust is embedded in strategy and innovation, not bolted on as an afterthought.
5. Invest in capability and culture: Ensure your people have the skills, tools and incentives to build trust daily. Recognise that trust is built by thousands of small actions, not just major policies. In the Middle East, organisations are leaning into AI and managed services to fill cyber talent gaps – half now use AI tools to strengthen defences, while only a small minority believe they have no talent gaps to close

Trust as the ultimate differentiator

The next decade will not be defined by who has the most data, the fastest AI model or the strongest defences. It will be defined by who is trusted to use digital technology responsibly, fairly and resiliently.

Those who embrace this reality will find that trust opens doors, accelerates innovation and creates lasting value. In the end, the question every board must ask is not just “are we secure?” but “are we trusted?” The organisations that can answer ‘yes’ will define the next decade of growth.