A new report from cybersecurity firm Positive Technologies reveals that 80% of cyberattacks targeting organizations in the Middle East result in the theft of confidential information — underscoring how the region’s rapid digital transformation is expanding its threat surface.

The study, which analyzes trends in cybercrime, advanced persistent threats (APTs), and underground market dynamics, paints a concerning picture: nearly one-third of successful attacks are attributed to APT groups, many of which target government institutions and critical infrastructure. These state-sponsored or well-funded actors often engage in espionage, not merely data theft, with the intent of undermining public trust and asserting digital dominance.

Social engineering tactics were the top initial attack vector, used in 61% of incidents, often in combination with malware (51%). Remote Access Trojans (RATs) featured in over a quarter of malware-based intrusions, enabling attackers to maintain long-term, covert access to compromised systems.

The primary targets of these breaches are credentials and trade secrets (29% each), followed closely by personal data (20%). Once stolen, this data is typically monetized via blackmail or sold on the dark web. Disruption of business operations — impacting everything from hospitals to transportation services — was the second most common outcome of attacks, cited in 38% of cases.

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The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Qatar emerged as the most referenced countries on dark web forums. Government agencies (34%) and industrial enterprises (20%) are the most frequently targeted, with hacktivists — rather than profit-motivated cybercriminals — playing a growing role.

“In the near future, we expect cyberthreats in the Middle East to grow both in scale and sophistication,” said Alexey Lukash, analyst at Positive Technologies. “As digital transformation efforts expand, so does the attack surface […] The consequences of successful attacks in these areas could have far-reaching implications for national security and sovereignty”.

To help organizations better defend against these escalating threats, Positive Technologies recommends several key measures:

• Vulnerability Management Systems: Automate asset discovery, prioritization, and remediation.
• Network Traffic Analysis: Monitor for anomalies and detect intrusions in real time.
• Application Security: Deploy solutions like PT Application Firewall and PT Application Inspector to identify flaws and block exploits.

The company emphasizes that cybersecurity should move beyond checkbox compliance toward a strategy that delivers tangible results. Their scalable frameworks are designed to secure everything from single enterprises to national digital infrastructure.