UAE employees outpace EMEA peers in cyber confidence, readiness: Cohesity

Dubai –Cohesity, a leader in AI-powered data security and resilience, today released the findings of a new study examining employee preparedness in the face of cyber threats. The research shows that the UAE workforce is ahead of its EMEA peers across several indicators of cyber-readiness, underscoring the country's progress toward its national vision for digital resilience and AI-enabled defence.
Conducted among full-time office workers in the UAE, United Kingdom, France, and Germany, the study assessed how confident employees feel in identifying and responding to cyberattacks. Among the standout results, 86 percent of UAE employees expressed confidence in recognising a cyber threat—compared to 81 percent in the UK, 80 percent in Germany, and just 62 percent in France. Nearly nine in ten (89%) UAE respondents also said they trust their organisation's ability to prevent and recover from attacks.
86% of UAE employees feel confident in identifying cyberattacks, but reporting gaps still exist.
Employees are willing to act – but fear of blame and unclear protocols still hold them back.
With national cybersecurity investment gaining traction, organisations must now empower their people to complete the defense chain.
Beyond awareness, the study reveals encouraging signs of action-oriented behaviour. Two-thirds of UAE employees say they would report suspicious activity to their cybersecurity team, showing an apt response, in comparison to respondents from the UK (61%), Germany (53%), and France (48%). Amongst other UAE employees, over half would notify their IT department. This instinct to act is supported by ongoing education: 66 percent have received some form of cybersecurity training in the past year.
Cyber threats have become more advanced and relentless, turning data into both a critical asset and a primary target. Organisations now face mounting pressure to secure their digital ecosystems, navigate complex regulatory landscapes, and ensure business continuity. Cohesity addresses these challenges through a platform that unifies data security, simplifies recovery, and fosters a culture of resilience. Speaking to tahawultech.com, Mark Molyneux, CTO, EMEA, and Johnny Karam, Managing Director and Vice President, International Emerging Region at Cohesity, share how enterprises can strengthen their cyber posture by combining cutting-edge technology with empowered, security-conscious teams.
Interview Excerpts:
Q: Why is data security so critical for organisations today, regardless of size?
Mark Molyneux:
Data is vital to any organisation, and threat actors target it for its value. Even partial access or corruption can cause catastrophic damage. Modern attacks are sophisticated; once inside, bad actors map systems and target backups to prevent recovery, leaving organisations with two choices: pay a ransom or face ruin. Cohesity helps organisations understand their data landscape, as most don't classify their vast amounts of information. This leaves them vulnerable to theft or deletion without knowing what's lost. Cohesity focuses on threat detection, anomaly hunting, and clean recovery, shifting from mere backup to cyber resilience. They provide tools to track access, report to regulators, and ensure quick, secure recovery.
Q: With your background in financial services and IT, how are top-tier organisations in EMEA adapting their hybrid cloud strategies in response to increasing cyber threats and regulatory pressures?
Mark Molyneux:
Regulatory pressure is intensifying globally, with regulations like Europe's DORA and existing UK mandates. The UAE has proactively responded by developing a cybersecurity framework, fostering innovation, and prioritizing education, leading to high ransomware awareness (86% vs. France's 61%). Despite this, a fear of reporting incidents persists, increasing risk. Cohesity aids organisations in measuring and improving their cyber maturity with a five-step model, emphasising readiness for inevitable cyberattacks by providing recovery and rapid online restoration.
Q: How does Cohesity's next-gen data security and management platform address the challenges large enterprises face in managing data across multi-cloud environments? And how does centralising data reduce cost?
Mark Molyneux:
Our platform, designed over a decade ago, automatically classifies and indexes data upon arrival. This ensures precise data knowledge, retention, and location within your records strategy. This also brings significant cost efficiencies by eliminating unnecessary data storage, reducing hardware investment, optimising cloud usage, and aligning with sustainability goals. We integrate AI and natural language processing for smart, contextual queries. For instance, our RAG AI accurately finds vendor contracts from specific timeframes, referencing data origin for full traceability, surpassing standard generative AI models.
Q: What recurring challenges are shaping Cohesity's product development and innovation roadmap?
Mark Molyneux:
Our current focus is on integrating Veritas, which was acquired in December. We're unifying Veritas's technology with Cohesity's capabilities, evolving both NetBackup and DataProtect under one management pane. Mohit Aron's intelligent file system will support both environments. Gaia, our AI product, will extract insights from data across both portfolios, aligning with our mission to protect, secure, and derive insight from data.
Q: When large enterprises consolidate data into a centralised platform across geographies, how do you ensure zero trust? Especially in today's hybrid work environments, how can organisations be sure their data is secure and access is tightly controlled?
Johnny Karam:
It's a great and very relevant question. Our platform is built with zero trust at its core. As enterprises move data from various clouds and data centres into one secure platform, we ensure multiple layers of protection:
Encryption – All data is encrypted at rest and in transit.
Multi-Factor Authentication – It's not enough to just have a username and password; access requires multi-factor authentication.
Multi-Person Authorisation – For high-sensitivity data, one person alone cannot delete or alter it. You can configure the system to require two or more authorised users to approve critical actions.
Immutability and Air Gapping – We store a secure, remote copy of the data (WORM – Write Once, Read Many) that cannot be altered, even in the event of a breach.
These controls are just part of our embedded security framework. Additional advanced features are also included but go beyond the scope of today's conversation. Security is not an add-on for us—it's built into the DNA of the platform. That's why customers trust us.
Q: What practical steps should organisations in the region take to close the gaps in internal reporting and foster a culture of psychological safety around cyber incident disclosures?
Johnny Karam:
While UAE organisations have improved cyber awareness—86% of employees recognise threats—a gap remains in reporting. Our research shows 46% hesitate to report due to fear of blame. To bridge this, organisations must cultivate a psychologically safe environment where reporting is encouraged, even for false alarms. Simplifying protocols and using simulations will help reinforce that reporting is always the correct action. At Cohesity, we believe cyber resilience relies on empowered people and a culture where employees confidently exercise their reporting responsibility.
Q: The study indicates that 46% of UAE employees hesitate to report threats due to fear of blame or confusion. How can Cohesity's approach to data security and resilience support enterprises in transforming this mindset into a strength, particularly in high-pressure threat scenarios?
Johnny Karam:
Fear-based hesitation undermines security. Cohesity approaches cyber resilience holistically, integrating secure technology with empowered human behavior. Our platform aids rapid detection, response, and recovery, reducing employee stress. Critically, we partner with leadership to foster a culture of shared responsibility through cyber maturity frameworks, assessing technology, people, and processes. When employees trust their actions, have clarity, and confidence, they become a vital defense. Normalising reporting, clarifying escalation paths, and removing ambiguity replaces hesitation with decisive, informed action.
Q: With the UAE's strategic focus on AI and national cyber frameworks, how is Cohesity aligning its roadmap in emerging regions to support not just technological readiness but also employee empowerment as a critical part of cyber resilience?
Johnny Karam:
The UAE is rapidly advancing in AI and cybersecurity, a vision Cohesity aligns with. Our roadmap for the region focuses on delivering AI-powered technology for resilience and empowering users. We've integrated AI into our platform for automated threat detection and faster response, viewing AI as a tool to amplify human decision-making. We invest in secure, intuitive solutions that support all employees, not just IT. Employee empowerment is crucial for cyber resilience; we aim for every user to operate with clarity and contribute to security. The UAE offers a significant opportunity to shape a global model for workforce-driven resilience.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Gulf Business

13 minutes ago

• Gulf Business

What's next for AdTech? Malika Kennedy on real shifts behind the buzzwords

Image: Supplied As part of the Points of Growth series, the How do you define the role of ad tech in today's marketing landscape? Adtech underpins every step of the advertising process, from purchasing and delivering ads to measuring their true impact. There are demand-side platforms (DSPs) used by advertisers to bid on and buy ad space across multiple publishers in real time, while publishers rely on supply-side platforms (SSPs) to make their inventory available in that same automated auction. In the backend, data-management platforms (DMPs) aggregate audience insights from websites, apps and customer databases to enable precise targeting. On mobile specifically, measurement partners (MMPs) attribute installs and in-app behaviors back to individual campaigns, so you can see exactly which ads drove real business results. At Yango Ads, we adapt these foundational technologies with AI-powered tools and machine-learning algorithms. For example, we now use AI to iterate on creative concepts rapidly, and machine learning helps optimize campaigns in real time toward business goals. Adtech is as broad in scope as it is exciting in its potential. How is ad tech influencing the evolution of traditional advertising formats? Ad tech is helping traditional formats become smarter, more targeted, and measurable. One of the biggest shifts we're seeing is the rise of retail media, ads placed directly within a shopper's journey, like on e-commerce platforms or grocery apps. It's a natural combination of traditional retail spaces and digital precision. Globally, the retail media platform market was valued at What signals do you look for when determining if a trend in ad tech is sustainable? For me, it comes down to this: does it solve a fundamental problem? And is it being adopted by both startups and large platforms? If yes, it's worth tracking. Things like agent learning, probabilistic measurement, and rapid iteration are becoming standard in marketing. So if it makes life easier and delivers better outcomes, then it's likely here for the long term. How do traditional and digital advertising complement each other today? The most effective strategies now combine both. Traditional channels like TV, radio, and out-of-home still have massive reach, but when paired with digital, they become even more powerful. For example, a TV ad can spark interest, while digital picks up the journey, targeting the same audience with tailored messages, tracking conversions, or even retargeting based on exposure. Connected TVs, dynamic billboards, and QR-enabled packaging have made 'traditional' more interactive and measurable. At Yango Ads, we often see the best results when brand awareness and performance tactics support each other. It's no longer about choosing one over the other; it's about integration. How are you helping regional retailers unlock the potential of retail media? It's been a fascinating journey. We're working with retailers, some of whom have been in the UAE for 50+ years, to help them unlock the value of their data and tap into new digital revenue streams. It's not an easy shift. Many of them are used to traditional business models, and we're guiding them through the mindset change needed to become part of the digital ecosystem. But when it works, it's incredibly rewarding – they begin to see the true value of their first-party data and what it can unlock. These kinds of transitions are exactly what we dive into on

Zawya

14 minutes ago

• Zawya

UAE employees outperform European peers in cyber readiness: Cohesity study

A new study on 'Employee readiness to confront Cyber threats' has revealed that the UAE workforce surpasses its European peers across several key cyber readiness indicators. This progress highlights the UAE's significant strides toward achieving its national vision for digital resilience and AI-powered cyber defence. The study reflects the active efforts and sustained investments by the UAE government to strengthen its national cybersecurity capabilities, including developing regulatory frameworks and infrastructure. Among the notable milestones is the implementation of advanced threat detection systems, under the supervision of the UAE Cyber Security Council, positioning the country as a regional model in cyber preparedness. Conducted by Cohesity, a leading AI-powered data security firm, the study assessed full-time employees in the UAE, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. It evaluated their confidence in detecting and responding to cyberattacks. The results showed that 86% of UAE employees expressed confidence in their ability to identify cyber threats, higher than the UK (81%), Germany (80%), and France (62%). Furthermore, nearly 89% of UAE respondents said they trust their organisations' ability to prevent and recover from cyberattacks. Encouraging behavioural indicators also emerged, with two-thirds of UAE employees stating they would report suspicious activity to their organisation's cybersecurity team. This compares to 61% in the UK, 53% in Germany, and 48% in France. Over half of the UAE respondents also said they would notify their IT department directly. This proactive approach is attributed to continuous awareness and training programmes, with 66% of UAE employees reporting they had received some form of cybersecurity training within the past year. Johnny Karam, Managing Director and Vice President, International Emerging Region at Cohesity, commented, 'The findings reflect the UAE's clear leadership in cybersecurity readiness across the Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. With initiatives driven by the UAE Cybersecurity Council and a strong national focus on AI and digital transformation, it's no surprise that employee awareness is rising in step with enterprise investment.' Mark Molyneux, CTO, EMEA at Cohesity, added, 'These findings confirm what we're seeing across the region: employees are increasingly aware of cyber risks and are willing to step up, which is largely due to the UAE Cyber Security Council's approach to increasing security awareness across the UAE." 'In fast-moving threat environments, AI-powered data security is not a luxury, it's an operational necessity,' he said.

Khaleej Times

36 minutes ago

• Khaleej Times

Emirates says full shift from DXB to Al Maktoum Airport will take up to 3 days

Emirates will be migrating operations from Dubai International Airport (DXB) to the upcoming Al Maktoum International Airport in a maximum of three days after the latter is functional, said a senior official on Monday. 'There will be a short period of time where we're going to migrate from here (DXB) to there (Al Maktoum). The system and the part there will be completely independent of what we have here. The operation of it might be done overnight. I don't think it'll be a prolonged transition period between DXB and Al Maktoum Airport. Once we have everything functional there, it's just a matter of shutting down here and moving there. It might require, I think, a day or two, maximum, three days,' said Adel Al Redha, deputy president and chief operations officer of Emirates Airline. He was speaking during a fireside chat at the ForsaTEK 2025 – an annual event hosted by Emirates Group to showcase its innovation, proof of concepts, technology and start-up ecosystems. In April 2024, Dubai announced that all operations at Dubai International will relocate to Dh128-billion Al Maktoum Airport upon completion in 10 years. As reported by Khaleej Times earlier, Dubai has already started awarding contracts for the construction of the new airport which will have a capacity to handle 260 million passengers annually when it is fully operational. Al Redha also gave a peek into how passengers will seamlessly complete the immigration process.