UAE Firms Brace for Ransomware Attacks, 55% Expect Impact

UAE Companies Face Rising Cyber Threats Despite Employee Awareness

More than half of UAE professionals expect their companies could fall victim to cyberattacks, yet organizations continue to underestimate risks and overestimate their defensive capabilities. A new Kaspersky survey reveals a troubling disconnect between employee awareness and corporate preparedness, highlighting vulnerabilities that could cost businesses millions in an increasingly digital economy.

The Reality Check: High Awareness, Persistent Vulnerabilities

According to Kaspersky's "Cybersecurity in the Workplace: Employee Knowledge and Behavior" survey, 55% of UAE computer-using professionals don't rule out the possibility of a cyberattack on their companies. This level of awareness is notably high compared to global averages, reflecting the UAE's rapid digitalization and the growing sophistication of regional cyber threats.

The concern appears well-founded. Nearly 30% of survey participants reported actual cybersecurity incidents at their organizations within the past 12 months, while another 31.5% heard about such incidents from colleagues. This suggests that roughly six out of ten UAE professionals have direct or indirect experience with workplace cyber incidents.

The Cost of Complacency

Despite this awareness, 54.5% of employees still view potential cyber incidents as merely posing "some risk" to their companies—a perspective that may reflect dangerous underestimation. This moderate risk assessment contrasts sharply with global data showing that successful cyberattacks can cost organizations an average of $4.45 million per incident, according to IBM's latest Cost of a Data Breach report.

The UAE's Unique Cyber Landscape

The Emirates' position as a regional business hub and its ambitious digital transformation agenda make it an attractive target for cybercriminals. The country's Vision 2071 aims to make the UAE the world's best country by its centennial, heavily relying on digital infrastructure and smart city initiatives that expand the attack surface for malicious actors.

Organizations face a familiar trinity of threats: phishing attacks, email fraud, and ransomware. These attack vectors have proven particularly effective in the Middle East, where rapid business growth often outpaces security infrastructure development.

Comparing Regional Responses

The UAE's cybersecurity awareness levels appear higher than many regional neighbors but still lag behind leaders like Singapore, where government-mandated cybersecurity frameworks have created more robust corporate cultures. Unlike Singapore's top-down regulatory approach, the UAE has relied more on private sector initiative, which may explain the uneven preparedness levels revealed in the survey.

The Responsibility Gap

The survey reveals a critical organizational blind spot: while most participants believe cybersecurity falls under IT departments' purview, only 21.8% recognize it as everyone's responsibility. This siloed thinking creates dangerous vulnerabilities, as modern cyber threats often exploit human factors rather than purely technical weaknesses.

Interestingly, 29.3% of respondents believe senior management should be involved in cybersecurity—a recognition that aligns with global best practices where C-suite engagement proves crucial for effective cyber defense strategies.

Strategic Implications for UAE Businesses

For investors and business leaders, these findings signal both risk and opportunity. Companies that proactively address cybersecurity gaps may gain competitive advantages, while those that maintain the status quo face increasing exposure to potentially devastating attacks.

The survey results suggest that UAE organizations need comprehensive security overhauls rather than incremental improvements. This creates significant market opportunities for cybersecurity vendors and consulting firms, particularly those offering employee training and cultural transformation services.

The Path Forward

Kaspersky's recommendations focus on six key areas: employee education, security team training, advanced monitoring systems, offline backup creation, robust security policies, and organizational culture development. These suggestions reflect industry consensus that effective cybersecurity requires both technological solutions and human-centered approaches.

The emphasis on culture development particularly resonates in the UAE context, where diverse multinational workforces may bring varying cybersecurity awareness levels and practices from their home countries.

Market and Investment Perspective

The survey findings suggest the UAE cybersecurity market remains undersaturated despite high awareness levels. This gap between recognition and action typically precedes market expansion phases, potentially benefiting cybersecurity solution providers and creating new partnership opportunities for technology companies.

For multinational corporations operating in the UAE, these results underscore the need for region-specific cybersecurity strategies that account for local threat landscapes and cultural factors. Companies that invest in comprehensive cybersecurity programs now may avoid far costlier incident response and recovery expenses later.