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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

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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.”

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PNY STRENGTHENS ITS TEAMS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND SAUDI ARABIATO SUPPORT STRATEGIC GROWTH

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PNY today announces the reinforcement of its commercial and marketing teams across the Middle East, with a particular focus on Saudi Arabia, a key strategic market for the expansion of its professional and consumer solutions businesses.

These recruitments are designed to support the acceleration of PNY’s expanding business around AI Factory initiatives and large-scale datacenter deployments. By strengthening its capabilities across computing, networking, storage, the full software stack, and the integration of NVIDIA and Vertiv solutions, PNY is positioning itself to deliver scalable, reliable end-to-end infrastructures that meet the evolving needs of enterprises as well as public and governmental organizations investing in AI and high-performance computing.

To support this growth strategy, PNY announces several key appointments:

Hashem Abughazaleh joins PNY to lead Professional Solutions Sales.
A seasoned Business Development and Enterprise Sales leader, Hashem brings over 15 years of experience across the Middle East and GCC. He has led high-level partnerships, defined enterprise sales strategies, and managed full solution lifecycles—from partner onboarding and technical customization to delivery.

Abdullah Algahyadh is appointed to drive the expansion of PNY’s presence in Saudi Arabia.
Born and raised in Riyadh, Abdullah holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Information Systems and a Master’s degree in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management from Middlesex University. His professional background includes business development, account management, and IT consulting. Abdullah brings strong local market knowledge and will play a key role in strengthening PNY’s footprint in the Kingdom.

Mohammed Hamdouche will lead the development of local marketing activities.
His background sits at the intersection of business, marketing, and technology, shaped by experience in large, tech-driven organizations across MENA markets. He brings expertise in digital marketing, with a strong interest in AI-driven technologies. Mohammed will actively support the growth of consumer solutions (a complete ecosystem of NVIDIA® GeForce® graphics cards, SSD components, and memory modules), storage ranges (USB flash drives and memory cards), as well as professional solutions.

“With these strategic hires, PNY is reinforcing its commitment to the Middle East and Saudi Arabia. We are strengthening our proximity to partners and customers, while helping them embrace innovative technologies to meet the region’s growing needs in digital transformation, AI, and high-performance computing.” –  Jérôme Bélan, CEO at PNY Technologies EMEA

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ACCELERATING AI ADOPTION IN HEARING HEALTH CRITICAL TO SUPPORTING PATIENTS WITH HEARING LOSS IN UAE

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Starkey MEA speaker presenting Omega AI hearing technology to audiologists and industry professionals during a conference session in Dubai.

Drawing on feedback from patients across the globe, Starkey highlighted that accelerating AI adoption in hearing health is already transforming daily life for people with hearing challenges, improving how they hear, connect and participate with greater confidence. Starkey addressed UAE’s leading audiologists, clinic owners and industry stakeholders from across the Middle East and Africa, led by Dr. Achin Bhowmik, Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President of Engineering.

The session focused on Starkey’s blueprint for AI-led hearing performance for patients in UAE and wider Middle East region, anchored by Omega AI, and detailed how the platform is advancing real-world speech clarity in challenging noisy environments, listening comfort and spatial awareness today, while setting the architecture for next-generation sound processing.

“At Starkey, sound quality is always, and will remain, job number one. Hearing is essential for how people connect, work, and participate in everyday life. When people delay action, outcomes suffer and quality of life and cognitive ability can decline unnecessarily,” said Dr. Achin Bhowmik, Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President of Engineering, Starkey. “Omega AI is built to bring people closer to natural hearing in real environments, using an industry-first 360-degree deep neural network processing and generative AI designed to dynamically adapt as listening conditions change and assist the patient in all environments. Hearing aids are high tech multifunction devices.   The next step is accelerating adoption, so these capabilities reach more patients in the UAE who can benefit from them.”

During the session, Starkey highlighted how Omega AI advances the shift from conventional amplification toward intelligent hearing systems designed for clarity, comfort and usability. Omega AI includes new connectivity features including Auracast assistant and Google Fast Pair, fall detection and a special AI assistant.  Starkey is setting the new standards for the industry.

The briefing took place against a backdrop of hearing loss emerging as a major global health and societal challenge. The World Health Organization projects that by 2050, nearly 2.5 billion people will have some degree of hearing loss, with more than 700 million expected to require hearing rehabilitation. The WHO also estimates the annual global cost of unaddressed hearing loss at almost US$ 1 trillion, reinforcing why prevention, early checks, and access to care matter.

The roadmap also emphasized connectivity and ecosystem design, including features intended to reduce friction for wearers, support faster fitting and follow-up, and enable a smoother clinical experience for hearing care professionals.

“Audiologists and clinic leaders in the Middle East, Africa and Turkey can rest assured that the new OMEGA AI platform will give them confidence and speed in treating their patients,” said Giscard Bechara, Director, Starkey MEA. “This briefing was designed to align the professionals on a larger point – hearing care is the need of the hour. Starkey has the technology today to service our patients better than any time before and we will waste no effort to educate and bring it here to our patients in the UAE and the Middle East.”

Starkey Middle East and Africa will continue engaging hearing care professionals and partners through professional education, technology briefings and clinical enablement initiatives, supporting evidence-based hearing care practices and helping translate the latest hearing innovation into improved patient outcomes.

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NEMETSCHEK GROUP AND INGRAM MICRO PARTNER TO ACCELERATE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION ACROSS THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA REGION

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Three executives stand behind a table holding a signed document folder during a Nemetschek Group and Ingram Micro partnership announcement event, with branded backdrop and floral arrangement in front.

The Nemetschek Group, one of the world’s leading software providers for the Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Operations (AEC/O) industry, announced a strategic partnership with Ingram Micro, a business-to-business (B2B) platform company for the global technology ecosystem, to jointly explore new business opportunities and accelerate digital transformation across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

The strategic partnership brings together Nemetschek’s cutting-edge software portfolio with Ingram Micro’s extensive regional reach, ecosystem enablement capabilities and deep market expertise. As part of the collaboration, both companies will work closely on joint market development initiatives, including coordinated marketing campaigns, industry events and customer engagement activities aimed at increasing awareness and adoption of Nemetschek’s solutions across the region. The collaboration also outlines a strong focus on sales enablement and training, equipping Ingram Micro’s teams with the technical, product and commercial expertise required to effectively promote, demonstrate and support Nemetschek technologies.

In addition, the partnership will support customers throughout their digital transformation journey through pre-sales collaboration, post-sales support and long-term account growth strategies. It is designed as a progressive onboarding framework, with Ingram Micro expected to be gradually onboarded across Nemetschek’s portfolio on a brand-by-brand basis as the partnership evolves.

Yves Padrines, Chief Executive Officer of the Nemetschek Group, noted that partnerships are a cornerstone of Nemetschek’s strategy to scale innovation and drive digital transformation globally. “The Middle East and North Africa region offers immense opportunity, defined by ambitious infrastructure programs and a clear commitment to digitalization. By collaborating with Ingram Micro, we are strengthening our ability to deliver open, connected and future-ready solutions that empower our customers to design, build and operate more efficiently and sustainably.”

Commenting on the partnership, Muayad Simbawa, Managing Director of Nemetschek Arabia, said: “This collaboration represents a strategic step forward in our mission to enable meaningful digital transformation across the built environment in the Middle East and North Africa. Ingram Micro’s strong regional footprint, ecosystem-driven approach and proven ability to scale technology adoption make them an ideal partner as we continue to empower architects, engineers and construction professionals with innovative, open and interoperable solutions. Together, we are laying the foundation for a more connected, efficient and sustainable future for the industry.”

Shaikh Mohammed Ahmed, Managing Director, Ingram Micro KSA, added: “At Ingram Micro, we see digital transformation as a collaborative journey built on strong partnerships and shared expertise. Our collaboration with Nemetschek reinforces our commitment to enabling our customers and partners with world-class technologies that address the evolving needs of the AEC sector. By combining Nemetschek’s industry-leading solutions with our regional capabilities and enablement services, we aim to unlock new growth opportunities and deliver tangible value across the MENA region.”

Ingram Micro is a leading global technology distributor and services provider, playing a critical role in the IT ecosystem by connecting technology manufacturers with solution providers and end customers. Through its extensive portfolio, digital platforms and value-added services, Ingram Micro enables businesses to scale, innovate and transform in an increasingly digital world.

The partnership underscores both companies’ shared vision of driving innovation, accelerating technology adoption and supporting regional ambitions for smarter infrastructure, sustainable development and digitally enabled economies.

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