Cybersecurity threats in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Turkey have been on the rise, with over 10 attacks on average hitting organizations in these regions in the past year. A survey conducted by Internet-services provider Cloudflare revealed that the majority of business and IT professionals in these countries anticipate a worsening of the cybersecurity landscape in the coming year. This has spurred efforts among cybersecurity experts to simplify and modernize their cyber defenses and IT infrastructures to combat the growing threats.
The survey, which gathered insights from nearly 1,000 security professionals, found that less than half of organizations (46%) feel adequately prepared to defend against future cyberattacks. Bashar Bashaireh, regional vice president at Cloudflare, emphasized the increasing complexity of the cybersecurity landscape in the Middle East and Turkey, noting the rise in both the volume and frequency of incidents which have left leaders feeling a sense of diminishing control over their organizations’ technological and security frameworks.
While cyberattacks have become commonplace in the region, each nation faces a slightly different threat profile. The UAE, for instance, has seen a significant number of cyberattacks in the past two years, with about a quarter of them being caused by insiders. Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE have experienced a surge in cyberattacks over the past year, with Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks by hacktivists increasing by 70%. Additionally, a group of cybercriminals targeted Turkish users with Android malware aimed at stealing accounts.
To address these challenges, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Turkey have undertaken major investments in modernization, aligning with initiatives such as Abu Dhabi’s Economic Vision 2030 and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. However, cybersecurity remains a critical aspect that needs to be bolstered to protect these investments. Chris Murphy, managing director at FTI Consulting, highlighted the necessity for these countries to enhance their cybersecurity efforts to safeguard their key sectors and overall economic growth amid evolving cyber threats.
In response to the escalating cyber risks, organizations in the Middle East and Turkey are prioritizing cybersecurity in their IT budgets. The Cloudflare report indicated that the majority of businesses in the region are focusing on consolidating and simplifying their cybersecurity infrastructure, with a significant portion also aiming to modernize their applications. Despite these efforts, there is a prevailing ‘confidence gap’ among respondents, particularly in areas such as public cloud security, supply chain oversight, and network access control.
While progress has been made in securing systems, with Saudi Arabia ranking second globally in the International Telecommunication Union’s Global Cybersecurity Index, the media, telecom, and gaming industries remain the most pessimistic about future cyberattacks. These sectors, which are already understaffed in terms of cybersecurity roles, are anticipating cybersecurity incidents in the next 12 months. The struggle to fill information-security roles is further compounded by the rapid growth of the IT market in developing regions like the Middle East and Turkey.
Despite the efforts to meet government-backed cybersecurity frameworks, many organizations in these regions have fallen short. For instance, a significant number of companies in Turkey fail to meet the requirements of the EU cybersecurity framework, while UAE organizations struggle with compliance with the National Electronic Security Authority (NESA) framework. Cloudflare highlighted the lukewarm commitment to cybersecurity among executives, citing a lack of leadership buy-in as a key challenge in addressing the evolving cyber threats facing organizations.
In conclusion, the escalating cyber threats in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Turkey have underscored the urgent need for organizations in these regions to fortify their cybersecurity defenses and IT infrastructure. With the cybersecurity landscape becoming increasingly complex and challenging to navigate, leaders must prioritize cybersecurity initiatives to safeguard their organizations and ensure sustained growth amidst evolving cyber risks.