Almost half of UAE organisations surveyed in a report have suffered a cybersecurity breach in the past year.
More than 1,500 global business and technology executives were interviewed for the International Trends in Cybersecurity Report by non-profit technology association CompTIA.
The report from 12 countries included data from 126 UAE companies. Across all countries surveyed, 73 percent of organisations said they had experienced at least one security breach in the past 12 months. Almost all of the breaches were categorised as serious, said the report.
The CompTIA report surveyed firms in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, South Africa, Thailand and the UK.
Breaches were most prevalent in India (94 percent) and Malaysia (89 percent). With almost half reporting a breach, the UAE rates low on the list.
“Our survey indicated 79 percent of companies in the UAE expect cybersecurity to become a higher priority over the next two years,” said Mark Plunkett, regional director of Europe, Middle East and emerging markets at CompTIA.
“The importance of cybersecurity knowledge and readiness continues to grow regardless of geography.”
Sixty percent of UAE firms reported mobile-related security incidents, such as lost devices, mobile malware and phishing attacks.
International Trends in Cybersecurity is based on an online survey of 1,509 business and technology executives conducted in January and February 2016.
Follow us on
