Today, a locally owned coffee roaster in Colombia can reach customers in Germany and Japan, accepting payments in euros, yen, and pesos. Meanwhile, a daughter in Connecticut sends money to her parents in Morocco, and it arrives in their account in a matter of seconds. It’s easy to forget that these everyday moments, so central to our lives, were not possible until relatively recently.

Moments like these remind me of how our connected digital economy—and the technology that powers it—has opened more opportunity for more people in more places than ever before. It’s nothing short of revolutionary.

At the same time, this revolution created new risks. Connections that unlock growth can also create shared vulnerabilities that hackers, fraudsters, and scammers are quick to exploit. In 2024, cybercrime losses were equivalent to the third-largest economy in the world measured in GDP, behind only the U.S. and China. By 2029, its value is projected to reach $15.6 trillion.

Add to that the rapid evolution of AI models, and the stakes are rapidly being raised on both sides of the cybersecurity equation. While bad actors use AI to commit more convincing scams and scale attacks, defenders are putting AI to work to detect unusual activity faster, identify vulnerabilities, and prevent fraud before it happens.

Now, agentic commerce is beginning to drive a growing share of business transactions. That means cybersecurity requires further levels of verification to ensure agents are only acting as they are permissioned and empowered to do.

Our economy has long depended on cybersecurity. As technology evolves, protecting it requires a broader, shared commitment. Cybersecurity can no longer be treated as an issue only for the IT department. It is an economic priority for all of us, from government leaders to CEOs to individual citizens. We all have a role to play.

It starts by strengthening the systems that power the secure exchange of value, so they are resilient, intelligent, and inclusive for all. The need is especially acute for small businesses like the coffee roaster in Colombia.

Small businesses are the building blocks of economies worldwide, driving 70% of employment and accounting for half of global GDP. Yet, they are also often the least equipped and resourced to withstand a cyberattack. The damage from a cyberattack is rarely limited to just the targeted small business. The broader economy feels the impact too, including the employees, suppliers, customers, and communities that depend on them.

Recent Mastercard research found that only 37% of small business owners currently use cybersecurity tools, but 89% say they want to adopt more digital tools. The only question is whether our ability to protect small businesses and the broader online environment will stay ahead of evolving cyber threats. It’s our collective job to make sure it does.

No business or single organization can secure the digital economy alone. Banks, technology companies, platforms, governments, and industry groups each bring different strengths—from sharing intelligence and setting standards to building more secure products and helping businesses act early. Groups like the Alliance for Critical Infrastructure and the Cyber Readiness Institute maximize that cooperation and close gaps. Only by working together can we help protect the connections that small businesses run on.

Investing in cybersecurity for businesses and communities of all sizes isn’t altruism; it’s a potent business opportunity to drive economic growth. When strong protections are easier to access, more entrepreneurs can participate in the digital economy, sell across borders, and adopt new technologies with confidence. Strong cybersecurity becomes an economic advantage, attracting investment, supporting growth, and kicking off a virtuous cycle that further strengthens defenses. Everyone benefits.

We have to get this right. Underinvesting in cybersecurity, or restricting who benefits from those investments, is a recipe for stunting future economic growth and innovation. But when we lead with cybersecurity, we protect the trust that keeps the digital economy running. When we make it harder for bad actors to exploit vulnerabilities, we create the confidence people and businesses everywhere need to keep creating, connecting, and growing. That is a powerful return we all Success on this issue should not be measured by how well the best-resourced institutions protect themselves, but by how effectively the ecosystem protects every participant. When strong protections reach businesses of every size, we strengthen trust, resilience, and growth for all.

The digital economy may have started as a revolution, but today it is the keystone of economies everywhere. It depends on technology being safe, reliable, easy to use, and above all, trusted. Cybersecurity is the key to unlocking our collective next chapter of digital growth.