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Proofpoint’s 2024 Voice of the CISO Report: More Than Two-Thirds of CISOs in the UAE Feel Prepared for Targeted Cyber Attacks

Published

2 years ago

May 22, 2024

89% of UAE CISOs are turning to AI-powered technology to protect against human error and block advanced human-centric cyber threats

Proofpoint, a leading cybersecurity and compliance company today released its annual Voice of the CISO report, which explores key challenges, expectations and priorities of chief information security officers (CISOs) worldwide.

The 2024 report draws attention to a notable trend: while fears of cyber attacks remain high, CISOs in the UAE demonstrate increasing confidence in their ability to defend against these threats, reflecting a significant shift in the cybersecurity landscape. Over two-thirds (70%) of surveyed CISOs in the UAE feel at risk of a material cyber attack over the next 12 months, compared to 75% the year before, and 44% in 2022. CISOs today clearly remain on high alert, but confidence among them is growing: just 34% feel unprepared to cope with a targeted cyber attack, showing a marked decrease over last year’s 57% and 47% in 2022.

Human error continues to be perceived as the Achilles’ heel of cybersecurity, with more than three-quarters (76%) of CISOs in the UAE identifying it as the most significant vulnerability. In a year of growing insider threats and people-driven data loss, more CISOs in the UAE than ever (83%) see human risk, in particular negligent employees as a key cybersecurity concern over the next two years. However, there’s growing optimism in the role of AI-powered solutions to mitigate human-centric risks, reflecting a strategic pivot towards technology-driven defenses.

The 2024 Voice of the CISO report examines global third-party survey responses from 1,600 CISOs from organizations of 1,000 employees or more across different industries. Throughout the course of Q1 2024, 100 CISOs were interviewed in each market across 16 countries: the U.S., Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands, UAE, KSA, Australia, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Brazil.

The report offers a vital perspective on the state of cybersecurity from those at the forefront of protecting people and defending data. The report also stresses the importance of maintaining robust cybersecurity measures in the face of economic pressures and the critical role of human factors in organizational cyber readiness. The survey also measures the changes in alignment between security leaders and their boards of directors, exploring how their relationship impacts security priorities.

“As we navigate through the complexities of today’s cyber threat environment, it’s encouraging to see CISOs in the UAE gaining confidence in their strategies and tools,” commented Emile Abou Saleh, Senior Regional Director, Middle East, Turkey, and Africa at Proofpoint. “However, the ongoing challenges of employee turnover, pressure on resources, and the need for continuous board engagement remind us that vigilance and adaptation are key to our collective cyber resilience.”

Key global findings from Proofpoint’s 2024 Voice of the CISO report for the UAE include:

Human error still tops cyber vulnerability threats but CISOs in the UAE turn to AI solutions to help. This year, we are seeing an uptick in the number of CISOs in the UAE who view human error as their organization’s biggest cyber vulnerability—76% in this year’s survey vs. 59% in 2023. However, 87% of CISOs believe that employees understand their role in protecting the organization. This confidence is higher than in previous years—56% in 2023 and 51% in 2022. This may be attributed to the 89% of UAE CISOs surveyed looking to deploy AI-powered capabilities to help protect against human error and advanced human-centered cyber threats.

CISOs in the UAE continue to fear cyber-attacks but fewer feel unprepared, showing growing confidence in their security measures. In 2024, 70% of CISOs surveyed in the UAE feel at risk of experiencing a material cyber-attack in the next 12 months, compared to 75% in 2023 and 44% in 2022. However, just 34% feel their organization is unprepared to cope with a targeted cyber-attack, compared to 57% in 2023 and 47% in 2022.

Generative AI tops CISOs security concerns in the UAE. In 2024, 49% of CISOs surveyed in the UAE believe that generative AI poses a security risk to their organization. The top three systems CISOs view as introducing risk to their organizations are: Microsoft 365 (50%), Perimeter network device (45%), Slack/Teams/Zoom/other collaboration tools (43%) and ChatGPT/other genAI (40%).

Employee turnover is still a concern, yet CISOs in the UAE trust their defenses. In 2024, 45% of security leaders reported having to deal with a material loss of sensitive data in the past 12 months, and of those, 64% agreed that employees leaving the organization contributed to the loss. Despite those losses, 83% of CISOs believe they have adequate controls to protect their data.

The majority of CISOs in the UAE have adopted DLP technology and invested more in security education. 51% of CISOs surveyed in the UAE, in 2024 have data loss prevention technology (DLP) in place compared to just 45% in 2023. More than half (55%) of CISOs surveyed invested in educating employees on data security best practices which is higher in 2024 compared to 2023 (41%).

Cloud account compromise and ransomware top CISO concerns in the UAE. The biggest cybersecurity threats perceived by CISOs in 2024 are cloud account compromise (Microsoft 365 or G Suite or other) (44%), ransomware attacks (42%) and malware (42%). These top threats are different from last year in which CISOs perceived distributed email fraud, cloud account compromise (Microsoft 365, G Suite or other), malware and smishing/vishing as the biggest threats.

Steady stance on ransom payments with increased reliance on cyber insurance in the UAE. In 2024, 64% (59% in 2023) of CISOs in the UAE believe their organization would pay to restore systems and prevent data release if attacked by ransomware in the next 12 months. 76% of CISOs said they would rely on cyber insurance claims to recover potential losses incurred, compared to 56% in 2023.

The Board-CISO relationship has improved significantly in the UAE. In 2024, 80% of CISOs agree their board members see eye-to-eye with them on cybersecurity issues. This is a significant jump from 63% in 2023, and 47% in 2022.

Pressures on CISOs in the UAE are unrelenting. In 2024, 69% of CISOs in the UAE admitted to burnout compared to 59% last year, while 87% feel they face excessive expectations, a steady increase from 59% last year and 38% in 2022. The sustainability of the ongoing expectations on CISOs continues to be tested—69% are concerned about personal liability (60% in 2023) and 74% (56% in 2023) would not join an organization that does not offer Directors & Officers (D&O) insurance coverage. In addition, 63% of CISOs agreed that the current economic downturn has hampered their ability to make business-critical investments, with 49% of them being asked to cut staff or delay backfills as well as reduce security budgets.

“While the cybersecurity landscape continues to evolve with increasing human-centric threats, the 2024 Voice of the CISO report highlights what appears to be a pivotal shift towards greater resilience, preparedness and confidence among global CISOs,” said Patrick Joyce, global resident CISO at Proofpoint. “This year’s findings underscore a collective move towards strategic defenses, including enhanced education, technological adoption, and an adaptive approach to emerging threats like generative AI.”

Tech News

Cloudera and Muroon Announce Strategic MoU

Published

3 hours ago

September 24, 2026

Integrator Web-Editor

In a strategic move to advance enterprise digital enablement and support the technological ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030, Cloudera, the only true hybrid platform for data, analytics, and AI, has agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with MuroonI the technology and digital enablement subsidiary of Tawuniya.

The proposed collaboration aims to evaluate opportunities to help organizations across the region modernize their technology capabilities, accelerate digital transformation, and unlock long-term business value. By leveraging Cloudera’s products and services, the engagement will explore how Cloudera’s hybrid data platforms and AI-driven analytics can help to boost Muroon’s expanding IT and digital enablement objectives.

Under the proposed partnership, Muroon and Cloudera will aim to collaborate on delivering secure data exchange and modern cloud architecture. Integrating Cloudera Anywhere Cloud™ principles, the proposed collaboration will explore ways to deliver a consistent cloud experience, enabling organizations to deploy AI and analytics workloads across private data centers and cloud environments with unified governance and security.

The proposed alliance creates complementary roles for both organizations. Muroon will leverage its delivery capabilities, consulting expertise, implementation services, across the Tawuniya ecosystem and the wider region. Cloudera will look to provide technology leadership, platform expertise, solution architecture, and technical enablement.

Ahmad Shakora, General Vice President of META, Cloudera, said:
“Our proposed collaboration with Muroon represents an important milestone in empowering regional organizations with modern hybrid data and AI architectures. Through Cloudera’s ability to bring AI and analytics to data anywhere it resides, combined with Muroon’s deep digital enablement and implementation capabilities, we aim to accelerate innovation, ensure secure data management, and actively contribute to the digital economy goals of Saudi Vision 2030.”

Faisal Bakhsh, Vice President of Business Development and Services Delivery at Muroon, added:
“As the technology arm of Tawuniya Group, Muroon is dedicated to delivering cutting-edge digital solutions that drive operational efficiency and business growth. Exploring this partnership with Cloudera allows us to harness world-class hybrid data and AI platforms to expand our service capabilities, facilitate secure data exchange, and deliver transformative value to our ecosystem and clients across Saudi Arabia.”

Tech News

Kaspersky: scammers ride the iPhone 18 hype with fake deals and stores

Published

3 hours ago

September 24, 2026

Integrator Web-Editor

At the start of the two sales waves for the new iPhone 18 models, the buzz has extended far beyond customers and Apple enthusiasts, scammers are also attempting to capitalize on the hype. Kaspersky experts have identified fake websites promoting nonexistent offers designed to deceive users for the new devices. These scam sites have been discovered in multiple languages, including English, Arabic, Portuguese and others.

One of the identified websites offers users the opportunity to “purchase” new devices, complete with technical specifications and a 25% discount. Among the available payment methods, customers are also encouraged to pay in Bitcoin. Its deceptively credible interface is designed to lower the guard of users, prompt them to enter personal information and transfer funds – but in reality, the only thing buyers might receive is financial loss.

Example of a fake website offering to purchase iPhone 18 Pro with Bitcoins

Another fake website invites users to pre-order iPhone 18 Pro devices in a variety of colors, including some that differ from those officially announced by the company at launch, and to select their preferred storage capacity. To make the offer even more enticing, the site claims that customers do not need to pay the full amount upfront and can supposedly settle the remaining balance later. In addition, the “seller” promises a full refund if the purchase is canceled – a claim that should not be trusted.

At the next stage, the fake website requests users’ personal information, including their full name, phone number, email address, city of residence and even their WhatsApp contact details, which may later be used by cybercriminals as part of social engineering schemes. Buyers are then asked to provide their bank card details. Ultimately, every step of the process is designed to extract as much information as possible, which may later be stolen, while victims’ bank accounts may be drained of funds.

“We have seen scam offers emerge around high-profile device launches for years. Consumer excitement can give cybercriminals an additional advantage and improve their chances of profiting. We strongly advise users to be extremely cautious when choosing where to shop and to make purchases only through official and trusted retailers. Offers that seem too good to be true, as well as product selections that are broader than or differ from those officially announced by the company, should be treated as clear warning signs,” says Olga Altukhova, Senior Web Content Analyst at Kaspersky.

To enjoy new devices without worrying about cyberthreats, Kaspersky advises users to:

Enable multi-factor authentication and monitor accounts: activate 2FA on IDs and financial apps and regularly review statements for unauthorized activity.

Always purchase new products through official and reputable stores to avoid falling victim to fraudulent offers.

Check the authenticity of websites before entering personal data. Double-check URL formats and organizations name spellings.

Secure your payment information. Use dedicated virtual cards or a dedicated payment service for online purchases to avoid exposing your credit card or bank account information.

Use a reliable security solution such as Kaspersky Premium that blocks phishing links. To ensure advanced protection against increasingly complex cyber threats, Kaspersky actively amplifies its consumer solutions with AI-powered scam protection – a unified suite of technologies that combines machine learning-based anti-phishing algorithms, real-time behavior monitoring, accompanied by Data Leak and Identity Theft checkers.

Tech News

INTRODUCING ORBITAL – AN AI-POWERED OPERATING SYSTEM FOR MODERN MARKETING

Published

13 hours ago

September 24, 2026

Integrator Web-Editor

TEAM LEWIS today announced version one of Orbital (OS1), a secure AI operating system. It is designed for multi-market organizations to connect insight, creativity, messaging and public-facing delivery.

Built by marketers for marketers, Orbital brings together data from across PR, CRM, paid media and web activity. It gives teams a clearer view of the factors shaping reputation, demand and AI visibility — and helps them respond with greater speed and confidence.

Marketing teams have access to more data than ever, but turning that information into action, fast, remains difficult. Fragmented platforms, dispersed teams and growing expectations around measurement have made it harder to see the full picture. Orbital has been developed to help close that gap.

Version one of the platform is structured around three connected areas:

Intelligence
Orbital works with each organization’s own data and context to identify the signals influencing reputation, demand and AI visibility.

Creativity
It helps teams turn insight into high-quality creative work at pace and at scale. It also keeps the judgement and originality that strong marketing needs.

Delivery
Orbital also supports the people representing an organization — from media interviews to keynote presentations and leadership moments — helping them communicate clearly and confidently.

Rather than replacing existing marketing infrastructure, Orbital is designed to work alongside it, through API integrations. Client data remains isolated within secure, enterprise-grade environments, supporting the governance and residency requirements expected by regulated industries.

Fairil Yeo, EVP of AI & Growth at TEAM LEWIS, said:

“The advantage increasingly lies with organizations that can act quickly on what they already know. Orbital is designed to shorten the distance between insight and action — helping marketing and communications teams work more effectively across markets, channels and teams.”

Yvonne van Bokhoven, Chief Operating Officer at TEAM LEWIS, added:

“Technology can connect information, but it cannot replace judgement. Orbital gives our specialists a clearer view of what matters, more quickly. The decisions — and the responsibility for making them well — remain human.”

Orbital is now available as part of TEAM LEWIS’s global offering. Its first release, Orbital OS1, establishes the foundation for an ongoing development programme, with further capabilities planned for future releases.

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