Nearly a 50 percent Increase in Gulf Region Cyberattacks

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Gulf Business Machines (GBM) reports a significant increase – from 28 percent in 2016 to 41 percent in 2017 — in hacking events among Gulf-based enterprises. Even so, only 31 percent of regional organizations are concerned about the detection and response to these attacks.

At the 2018 Gulf Information Security Expo and Conference in Dubai that took place from May 1-3, 2018, GBM issued its Seventh Annual Cybersecurity Study, which surveyed regional organizations regarding security in the business environment. The survey polled over 600 executives and IT professionals from a range of industries including IT, education, oil and gas, hospitality, and healthcare across the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain, and Kuwait.

The GBM White Paper illustrated these relevant findings:

  • 79 percent believed their company had an effective security strategy in place
  • 31 percent were concerned about detection and response to attacks
  • 32 percent lack a security operations center to detect intrusions
  • 81 percent preferred in-house security operations
  • 62 percent are likely to utilize Artificial Intelligence for security purposes

Hani Nofal, VP of Intelligent Network Solutions at GBM commented that organizations must appreciate that preparation against a breach should invest in resources that aid in detection and response, in addition to preventative measures, in order to enhance cyber resilience.