MENA Cybersecurity Faces Identity-Driven Operational Threats
As 2025 ends, cybersecurity leaders in the Middle East face escalating risks, with PwC reporting 40 percent of regional tech leaders prioritizing data protection. The piece outlines five shifts—identity compromise, disruption-focused ransomware, expanded OT exposure, AI-accelerated attacks, and renewed emphasis on cyber fundamentals—that defined 2025 and will shape 2026. Organizations must strengthen identity controls, recovery readiness, OT security, AI governance, and workforce training.
Key Points
- 1Elevate identity protection—attackers favor credential theft, MFA fatigue, SIM-swapping, and AI-powered social engineering.
- 2Warn that ransomware groups prioritize disruption over encryption, inflicting costly downtime and reputational harm.
- 3Advise embedding cyber fundamentals—governance, segmented backups, OT-integrated security, AI governance, and workforce training.
Scoring Rationale
Timely, actionable regional analysis with credible sources; offers practical guidance but limited groundbreaking technical novelty beyond synthesis.
Sources
Public references used for this report.
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