Beyond the Horizon: Emerging Technologies, Security Frontiers, and Gray Swans

1. Auflage 2026
ISBN: 978-87-438-1513-6
Verlag: River Publishers

Buch, Englisch, 96 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm

Reihe: River Publishers Rapids in Power

The coming decade will not be defined by a single technological breakthrough, but by the convergence of many. Artificial intelligence, quantum computing, biotechnology, space systems, hyperconnected networks, and cyber-physical infrastructure are reshaping society at unprecedented speed. Together, these technologies promise extraordinary advances while creating complex security challenges that outpace existing governance, risk management, and leadership strategies.

Beyond the Horizon explores this technological convergence through the lens of strategic security. Rather than examining emerging technologies in isolation, it reveals how their intersection creates new categories of systemic risk capable of affecting governments, critical infrastructure, businesses, and society as a whole. Central to the discussion is the concept of gray swan events—high-impact, plausible disruptions that fall between predictable risks and unforeseen black swan events. These include AI-enabled cyberattacks, quantum-enabled cryptographic disruption, cascading failures across interconnected infrastructure, and the erosion of trust in digital systems.

Drawing on decades of experience in cybersecurity, enterprise risk, and national security, the book provides a practical framework for understanding the threats shaping the future. It argues that cybersecurity has evolved beyond protecting information technology—it has become the nervous system of modern civilization. As digital systems increasingly underpin energy, transportation, healthcare, finance, communications, and government, resilience—not prevention alone—will determine organizational and national success.

Accessible yet authoritative, Beyond the Horizon bridges the gap between emerging technology and executive decision-making. It equips business leaders, policymakers, security professionals, and technology strategists with the insight needed to anticipate disruption, strengthen resilience, and make informed decisions in an era where technological convergence is redefining both opportunity and risk.

As AI accelerates cyber threats, quantum computing challenges today’s encryption, software increasingly controls critical infrastructure, and confidence in digital institutions declines, the ability to recognize and prepare for gray swan events will become one of the defining leadership skills of the twenty-first century.

Zielgruppe

Academic, Postgraduate, and Professional Practice & Development

Autoren/Hrsg.

Brooks, Chuck

Fachgebiete

• Mathematik | Informatik EDV | Informatik Informatik Künstliche Intelligenz

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Preface Chapter1 The Merged Digital–Physical Frontier Chapter 2 Artificial Intelligence Anytime, Everywhere Chapter 3 Quantum Computing and the Next Security Paradigm Chapter 4 IoT, OT, and the Expanded Attack Surface Chapter 5 Networks, Edge, and Resilience by Design Chapter 6 Space Systems as Critical Infrastructure Chapter 7 Sector Risks: From Aviation to Healthcare Chapter 8 Policy, Governance, and Global Cooperation Chapter 9 Workforce, Culture, and Behavioral Risk Chapter 10 Black Swans and Gray Swans: Preparing for the Unthinkable Chapter 11 From Cyber Defense to Cyber Resilience Chapter 12 Strategic Leadership in an Age of Uncertainty Chapter 13 The Future of Emerging Technologies: 12 R&D Matters: Innovative Technological Domains for Government and Industry Prioritization in 2026 and Beyond Conclusion: Examining the Future of Technology

Über Autor(innen)

Chuck Brooks is President of Brooks Consulting International and adjunct faculty at Georgetown University’s Graduate Program in Cybersecurity Risk Management. LinkedIn has recognized Chuck Brooks as one of the Top 5 Executives to Follow on Technology, and several media sites have awarded him the title of Top 5 Global Cybersecurity Expert. He is a regular Forbes Contributor on emerging technologies and cybersecurity. A prominent figure in the field of risk management, he has served as a keynote speaker at a large number of international conferences across the globe and has written more than 450 articles on topics relating to technology and cybersecurity. He is also author of the book, “Inside Cybersecurity”. Over the course of his career, Chuck has been appointed to executive positions by two different presidents of the United States. He has also held senior executive leadership roles in industry, including General Dynamics, Rapiscan, and Xerox. Chuck is a graduate of the University of Chicago with a Master of Arts degree, DePauw University with a Bachelor of Arts degree, and The Hague Academy of International Law with a certificate in International Law.