Majority of companies in UAE and Saudi Arabia recognise need to bolster cybersecurity

Research released this week has given fresh insight into the current global threat landscape and recommendations on how organisations are working to improve their cybersecurity posture.

“The State of Email Security 2023” (SOES) report by Mimecast focusses on threats faced in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, finding that 94% and 100% of respondents from the respective nations said they were targeted by email-based phishing attacks in the last year. 

However, all companies studied reported having a system in place to monitor and protect against email-borne threats or are actively planning to implement one.

In terms of cyber awareness in the C-suite, the report notes that business leaders in the region are increasingly willing to confront the risks involved and invest in proper measures to protect against cyberattacks. On average, 95% of companies in the UAE and Saudi Arabia reported needing stronger protection for their Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace applications, while 61% said their company needs to spend more on cybersecurity. 

All companies also reported having some form of cyber awareness training in place, indicating a greater alertness to future attacks. With the increased focus on cyber preparedness by the C-suite, CISOs feel more empowered to articulate their requirements and implement strategies and tactics that will make their organisation more secure.

The report also highlights the risks associated with collaboration tools, which remain an essential but potentially vulnerable part of communication for remote workforces. Eighty-four percent of SOES participants in the UAE and 94% in Saudi Arabia agree that collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams or Slack are essential to their working function. 

However, 82% from both countries expect to be harmed in 2023 by a collaboration-tool-based attack. The report emphasises the need for CISOs to ensure that adequate security measures are put in place for these tools to continue working protected while using them.

The study shows an overall improvement in cyber preparedness, with organisations taking necessary measures to prepare for impending attacks. Half of the respondents are using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to help under-resourced teams stay ahead of the curve, while the other half have plans to implement such measures. 

The use of AI tools will undoubtedly help under-resourced cybersecurity teams stay ahead of attacks and manage threats accordingly. In Saudi Arabia, 64% of respondents cited threat prevention as the top benefit of implementing AI, while in the UAE, 54% of organisations said reduced human error across the company was the biggest advantage. The report concludes that most companies believe that AI systems will revolutionise the ways in which cybersecurity is practiced.

In conclusion, the SOES report shows that organisations in the region are taking the necessary steps to improve their cybersecurity posture, including investing in cyber awareness training and advanced technologies like AI and machine learning. However, with the increased use of collaboration tools, CISOs must remain vigilant and ensure that adequate security measures are in place to protect against collaboration-tool-based attacks.

Reacting to the findings, Werno Gevers, regional leader of Mimecast Middle East, said:

“Supply chain vulnerabilities, the rise of online collaboration and the growth of digital networking are among the chief reasons the cyber landscape is becoming more treacherous. The intersection of communications, people, and data carries a tremendous amount of risk, as malicious actors exploit the interconnectedness of the modern work surface.

“Our research shows that corporate boards have finally woken up to the realisation that cyber risk is business risk”.

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