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Mid East Info
07-05-2025
- Business
- Mid East Info
Help AG report defines AI, quantum and resilience as the new cybersecurity frontiers for the GCC - Middle East Business News and Information
Help AG's highly anticipated State of the Market Report 2025 calls for urgent quantum-readiness and AI-powered cyber autonomy, as Distributed Denial-of-Service cyberattacks in the UAE surged from 38,797 in 2019 to 373,429 in 2024; a staggering 862.45% increase, Help AG observed. Offering deep insights into the most pressing cyber trends across the UAE and Saudi Arabia, the State of the Market Report 2025 was unveiled at an exclusive media roundtable on Day 1 of GISEC Global. Dubai, UAE / Riyadh, KSA – May, 2025: Help AG, the cybersecurity arm of e& enterprise and the region's leading Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP), unveiled its highly anticipated State of the Market Report 2025 on Day 1 of GISEC Global ( May 6-8; Dubai World Trade Centre ). The Help AG report explores how AI-driven attacks, data-centric threats, and quantum-readiness are reshaping enterprise and government security strategies across the GCC. Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) cyberattacks in the UAE surged from 38,797 in 2019 to 373,429 in 2024 — a staggering 862.45% increase, as observed by Help AG. The report reveals a sharp escalation not only in volume but also in sophistication, with attacks becoming more targeted and persistent. In one instance, a single DDoS attack lasted more than 35 days in 2024. While volumetric attacks were fewer, the strategic focus on government and critical infrastructure is raising significant alarm across the cybersecurity community. Offering deep intelligence into the most pressing cyber trends across the UAE and Saudi Arabia, the State of the Market Report 2025 was unveiled at an exclusive media roundtable at GISEC Global. Speaking at the sidelines of the launch, Stephan Berner, Chief Executive Officer of Help AG, said: 'We are witnessing a shift from cybersecurity to cyber autonomy where systems don't just defend, they decide. In a region driving the world's most ambitious digital projects, automation alone is not enough. Autonomy, built on trust, intelligence, and sovereign infrastructure, is the new frontier.' Nicolai Solling, Chief Technology Officer of Help AG, added: 'Resilience in cybersecurity now means protecting the technologies shaping our future—AI, quantum computing, and the expanding digital ecosystem. At Help AG, we enable organizations to stay not only secure, but agile in the face of rapid innovation and growing complexity.' KEY INSIGHTS – GCC Escalating Threats from AI and Data Breaches: Help AG's report highlights the rise of GenAI-powered phishing and impersonation attacks that are faster, stealthier, and harder to detect. Phishing remains the top threat vector, initiating 90% of incidents in 2024, while credential-based breaches were involved in nearly 45% of reported cases. Ransomware has continued to evolve, with 66% of organizations in the GCC impacted and many facing 'double extortion' tactics. The consequences are not just operational as 36% of companies that suffered breaches reported board or C-suite fallout. Data Exfiltration Increases: The Help AG report highlights the concerning rate of data exfiltration attacks, which are becoming more sophisticated, using stealthy tools like collaboration apps and cloud storage to siphon information undetected. Attackers are able to quietly steal data, making breaches harder to trace and more damaging. This shift demands advanced monitoring and tighter controls on outbound traffic and third-party integrations. Quantum Risk on the Horizon: Help AG is calling on enterprises and government bodies to proactively adopt post-quantum cryptography, to protect long-life data assets against growing vulnerabilities. With a year-on-year spike of 236% in Security-as-a-Service adoption, increased cloud misconfigurations, and evolving Operational Technology/Internet of Things (IoT) threats, the Help AG report outlines a roadmap of priority investments. TOP PRIORITIES FOR 2025 Securing AI Ecosystems and Critical Data: With GenAI-driven threats escalating, organizations must secure their AI models, Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), and sensitive data pipelines. Help AG highlights the urgent need for securing both human and machine users across the full AI lifecycle, backed by robust governance, API protection, and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) observability. Identity & Access Management (IAM): Strengthening IAM with adaptive authentication, behavioral monitoring, and advanced access controls is now foundational to defending critical assets. Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM): Cloud misconfigurations and human error remain leading causes of breaches. Robust CSPM strategies help organizations proactively identify, prioritize, and remediate risks across multi-cloud environments, supporting secure, compliant growth. AI-Powered Detection and Response (UEBA/NDR): As cyberattacks grow more sophisticated, AI-driven solutions like User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) and Network Detection and Response (NDR) are critical for real-time threat detection, insider risk management, and adaptive incident response. Quantum-Readiness Assessment and Strategy Development: While quantum computing threats are still emerging, Help AG stresses the need to act now. Organizations must assess crypto-inventories, prioritize migration planning, and integrate post-quantum security into long-term strategies to protect high-value assets. Cybersecurity Consolidation and Platformization: With complexity becoming a major risk, organizations are accelerating cybersecurity consolidation—favoring unified platforms that integrate detection, response, threat intelligence, and compliance. Help AG's report shows a strong shift toward multi-year OPEX-driven models and managed security services, aligning investments to business outcomes. Building Cyber Resilience by Design: In today's world, cyber resilience defines competitive advantage. Help AG advocates investing in integrated backup, recovery, Digital Forensics and Incident Response (DFIR) capabilities, and managed cyber defense services—ensuring organizations can contain, recover, and thrive after incidents, not just prevent them. About Help AG: Help AG, an e& enterprise company, is a recognized leader in next-generation cybersecurity technology and innovation. We combine strategic consulting with bespoke information security solutions and services to empower governments and enterprises across the Middle East and Africa to secure their digital transformation journey while maintaining a competitive edge. Leveraging e&'s robust technology portfolio, vast market reach, and deep expertise, Help AG enables organizations in the region with the tools and capabilities needed to confidently navigate the ever-changing cybersecurity landscape. Our advanced security offerings, coupled with a commitment to cybersecurity innovation and compliance, ensure that our customers benefit from unparalleled resilience and agility in an increasingly digital world. As a trusted partner to both governments and enterprises, Help AG is dedicated to fostering a secure and compliant digital environment, helping our clients thrive in their digital endeavors. About e& enterprise: e& enterprise is a digital transformation leader supporting governments and large-scale organisations in building and scaling their digital core. Through optimising operations, enhancing customer engagement, and data-driven decision-making, we enable seamless, sustainable, and secure transitions into the evolving digital world. Currently operating in the UAE, KSA, Egypt, Oman, Türkiye, Qatar, and South Africa, e& enterprise brings cutting-edge digital scalable solutions designed to deliver tangible business value and address the unique challenges faced by organisations and executives across industries. With a proven track record as a trusted digital transformation partner, technical expertise, and the ability to deploy and manage complex solutions, e& enterprise provides collaborative tailored solutions that empower customers to navigate their end-to-end digital transformation journey.
Al Etihad
06-05-2025
- Business
- Al Etihad
UAE sees 862% surge in cyberattacks in 5 years as nation rises as global tech hub
7 May 2025 00:47 KHALED AL KHAWALDEH (DUBAI)Cyberattacks in the UAE have skyrocketed by an alarming 862.45% over the past five years, according to the newly released State of the Market Report 2025 from cybersecurity company Help AG, part of e& (Etisalat). The spike in attacks comes as the UAE rises as a global financial centre and an emerging technology hub, which experts at GISEC on Tuesday said made it increasingly desirable to hackers and bad actors from around the world. 'The UAE is a business hub for the Middle East, which means that automatically, there will also be a lot of attacks,' Help AG's Chief Technology Officer, Nicolai Solling, told Aletihad on Tuesday. The report, launched at GISEC Global in Dubai, highlighted 373,429 "distributed denial-of-service (DDoS)" attacks in 2024 alone, up from just 38,797 in 2019 — underscoring a dramatic escalation in both the volume and sophistication of cyber threats. DDos attacks refer to a type of cyberattack that is used to overwhelm applications and online platforms. Solling said these attacks were becoming more sophisticated as AI and bot technology advanced. The report identified AI-driven attacks, data breaches, and emerging quantum risks as the core cybersecurity frontiers for 2025. Although phishing scams remained the primary threat in the region, initiating 90% of cyber incidents, while credential-based breaches were involved in 45% of cases. Government Support Nevertheless, Solling said the UAE was well placed to fight the incoming cyberattacks, with the government leading initiatives to ensure the country, its population and its infrastructure were equipped to tackle threats. 'The UAE Government is focusing a lot on making sure that we have a secure environment. Because if you look at what the UAE is doing, they're trying to create a society which is powered by digital transformation and the electronic services that we have as citizens,' he said. 'They also want to attract business. And one of the things that's important for that is to deliver an environment where we can continuously operate even on this kind of things.' Region-wide IssueA separate report, released by cloud computing company Cloudflare, found that the region was also finding itself increasingly at the centre of attacks — with 52% of surveyed organisations experiencing at least 10 cybersecurity incidents in the last 10 months. Speaking to the crowd at GISEC, Cloudflare CTO Christian Reilly said the region's burgeoning AI and tech industry would only increase its susceptibility to attacks. 'The Middle East is becoming a very attractive place for the bad actors,' he said. This was echoed by Aarti Borkar, Corporate Vice President for Microsoft Security, who warned that vulnerabilities — particularly with the amount of data sharing now occurring with AI — were getting worse. She said it would be crucial for companies to come up with new strategies to ensure they were cyber-ready in the AI age. 'Most people turn red when you ask them a question, because they don't want to admit there is a problem,' she said. 'The good news is that the solutions are there, just go out and get them.'
