Email security vendor Mimecast has released a report from its Threat Intelligence Centre titled ‘Arabian Peninsula as a Cyber Innovator and Associated Cyber Risk to Resilience in the Region.
Researchers at the security vendor have observed a month-on-month increase in malicious files detected in the region over the course of 2020. The report highlights how between March and April – when COVID-19 first began spreading in the region and countries went into lockdown – there was a 93% increase in malicious files detected.
The report provides a detailed overview of threats seen in the region over the course of this year, highlighting some of the technologies and regional dynamics driving increased cyber threats. It draws on data from organisations in Bahrain, KSA, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the UAE. “As the world navigates a new normal, opportunistic threat actors continue to use a combination of attack methodologies to target vulnerabilities.” said Jonathan Miles, Head of Strategic Intelligence, Mimecast. “These findings put the spotlight on the growing threat activity in the region, placing emphasis on a multi-layered approach to security. Organisations need to implement a cyber resilience strategy with due consideration given to protecting an organisation at its perimeter, inside the network and beyond the perimeter, by protecting its brand from exploitation.”
