The difference between World War II and today, however, is that we are online.

Take Channel 4’s “The Undeclared War”, which described a new reality where – despite no formal declaration of conflict – cyber vulnerabilities are being weaponised by nation states against their adversaries to undermine business security, disrupt infrastructure, and expose sensitive data. No sector is immune. Even non-strategic media targets are vectors for data compromise: in mid-2024, Russian-linked hacker group BlackSuit targeted Japanese media firms Kadokawa and Niconico and leaked 254,241 users’ data.

If you’re somewhere in the research chain, you’d be forgiven for thinking your agency isn’t a target. Yet throughout 2024, one third of reported cyber attacks stemmed from third party breaches, revealing the infiltration of global brands through their supply chains as a prominent hacker tactic. For market research agencies with global clients, this makes every partner in the research chain a potential entry point, from survey platforms to panel providers and localisation agencies. When your clients are global brands, their trust depends on the security of every link in your chain.

The risks multiply in markets where you collect sensitive consumer or attitudinal data – because sometimes, the call is coming from inside the house. In countries like China, authorities hold broad rights to access data gathered on their soil, raising profound ethical questions when research touches on political dissent or personal identity.

Of course, our industry is not new to VUCA environments. We already adapt to political volatility and the cultural context shaping insights. But in today’s environment, global research requires more:

· True localisation from the start to ensure that language and cultural context are right, so insights are reliable and participants safe;

· Robust cyber resilience — treating security not as an add-on, but as a cornerstone of insight itself;

· Trusted partners — recognising that every provider in the chain is a guardian of participant trust and safety, and client value.

Today, however, market research is not merely a provider of insight. It is the custodian of secure, cross-border intelligence.

In a world of digital warfare, confidence belongs to those who recognise that security and localisation are inseparable.