Cyber threats have tripled since the start of the conflict: Five priority actions
The Middle East is currently seeing a surge in sophisticated cyber threats driven by geopolitical tensions and the weaponisation of AI. Jamie Gee from Gallagher outlines five ways businesses across the region can strengthen their cyber resilience and respond effectively to the evolving threat landscape.
The scale of the threat is stark. Prior to the outbreak of the current regional conflict, UAE authorities were intercepting between 90,000 and 200,000 cyberattacks per day. That figure has since surged to between 600,000 and 800,000 daily attempts according to reports – an average increase of approximately 3.5 times – the majority of which are attributed to state-backed actors.
Iran-linked groups are deploying AI tools – including large language models – for reconnaissance, phishing, malware development, and deepfake-driven information warfare. The Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Centre has identified phishing, account breaches, AI-enabled deepfakes, and identity theft as the most prevalent threats during periods of emergency.
As well as increasing sharply in volume, attacks are qualitatively more sophisticated and harder to detect – a dangerous combination that leaves underprepared organisations significantly exposed.
The near tripling of daily attack volumes since the conflict escalated reflects a structural shift in the threat landscape that businesses cannot afford to ignore. Organisations without robust incident response planning and cyber insurance are dangerously exposed. The question is no longer if an incident will occur, but whether organisations will be ready to respond. Five priority actions to consider:
1) Test incident response plans
Run tabletop exercises and scenario simulations. Verify a 24/7/365 incident response protocol is in place, with key personnel and specialist vendors identified before an incident strikes.
2) Heighten monitoring and employee awareness
Implement real-time monitoring and logging to detect threats promptly. With human error a primary cause of incidents, regular awareness training and phishing simulations are essential – particularly given the sophistication of AI-generated attacks.
3) Strengthen access security
Enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) across remote access, email and cloud services. Patch systems regularly and maintain encrypted, offline data backups to limit ransomware exposure.
4) Scrutinise the supply chain
Review third-party exposures and over-dependencies on single providers. Evaluate the cyber maturity of critical SaaS, cloud and OT suppliers, and embed minimum security requirements contractually.
5) Transfer the risk
If cyber insurance is not in place, explore transferring financial risk to the market. If already procured, confirm your incident hotline and claims protocol. Notify your broker immediately if an incident occurs.
Conclusion
The Middle East is navigating one of the most complex cyber threat environments in history. State-sponsored actors, geopolitical pressure, and AI-enhanced attack tools have raised the stakes for regional businesses significantly. Organisations with robust incident response plans and comprehensive cyber insurance will be best positioned to withstand disruption, recover quickly, and operate with confidence in an increasingly volatile threat environment.
