The UAE has seen a sharp rise in cyber threats in 2024, particularly ransomware attacks, with 34 incidents reported between January and November, up from 27 in all of 2023, according to Acronis Threat Research Unit data.
This increase reflected the rise of the nation’s global profile, making it a prime target for cyber criminals aiming to exploit vulnerabilities in finance, telecommunications, government and critical infrastructure sectors. Malware detections have also surged by 65.3%, jumping from 16.05% in 2023 to 26.52% in 2024.
The UAE led the Middle East in reported cyber incidents. Saudi Arabia recorded 11 ransomware attacks in 2024 to date, Lebanon saw an increase from two to seven, Oman from three to four while Jordan experienced a drop from three to one.
With the cost of data breaches in the Middle East averaging $8.7m, financial organisations in the UAE are under growing pressure to fortify their cyber security measures to protect sensitive data and avoid significant financial and reputational damage.
The UAE’s energy, oil and gas sectors face heightened risks. Experts predict that cyber attacks on industrial control systems and operational technology could severely disrupt production and lead to major financial losses.
“The growing use of smart city technologies and the expansion of IoT in the UAE are increasing the digital attack surface,” said Acronis Middle East general manager Ziad Nasr. “As more devices and systems become interconnected, cyber criminals have greater opportunities to exploit vulnerabilities, potentially essential services.”
Phishing attacks are expected to become more sophisticated in 2025, with the integration of AI and deepfake technology enabling attackers to impersonate executives. This includes significant increase in risks through business email compromise schemes and other types of social engineering fraud. M