Help AG report defines AI, quantum and resilience as the new cybersecurity frontiers for the GCC
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 – GCCEscalating Threats from AI and Data BreachesHelp 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 2025Securing 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.
The full State of the Market Report 2025 is now available at https://www.helpag.com/state-of-the-market-report-2025/.
© 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Bawaba
17 hours ago
- Al Bawaba
Ajman Department of Land and Real Estate Regulation and Ajman Bank Sign Strategic MoU to Enhance Financial Integration
The Ajman Department of Land and Real Estate Regulation has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ajman Bank, marking a new chapter of collaboration aimed at advancing financial integration and enhancing banking services through innovative and digital-first agreement was signed by H.E. Eng. Omar bin Omair Al Muhairi, Director General of the Department of Land and Real Estate Regulation, and H.E. Mustafa Al Khalfawi, Chief Executive Officer of Ajman on the signing, H.E. Eng. Omar bin Omair Al Muhairi stated: 'This strategic partnership with Ajman Bank reflects our commitment to advancing the department's digital capabilities and streamlining financial performance. Ajman Bank plays a vital role in supporting our ongoing efforts to build an agile, tech-enabled regulatory environment that responds effectively to the needs of real estate developers and investors.'He further added that through this collaboration, the department will gain access to comprehensive, periodic reports on escrow accounts, enabling greater oversight of real estate development performance. The partnership also paves the way for more seamless financial transactions across stakeholder groups, reducing procedural complexity and delivering future-ready services grounded in speed, privacy, and operational excellence.H.E. Mustafa Al Khalfawi, CEO of Ajman Bank, commented: 'At Ajman Bank, we believe in the power of institutional collaboration to elevate the quality of financial services. This agreement reflects our shared vision of trust, integration, and efficiency, and supports Ajman's positioning as a competitive and investment-friendly emirate.' This partnership serves as a model for effective synergy between regulatory bodies and the financial sector, setting the stage for a more stable, transparent, and investor-centric real estate ecosystem in Ajman.
Al Bawaba
2 days ago
- Al Bawaba
Iran hacks Israeli home security cameras in intelligence operation
Published June 20th, 2025 - 06:26 GMT ALBAWABA - Bloomberg reported that Iran has been breaking into private home security cams all over Israel to get real-time information. The war between Iran and Israel is now in its second week. The story makes me worry again about how protection holes are being used during current Franco, who used to be the deputy head of Israel's National Cyber Directorate, went on public radio to tell people: "Shut down your home security cameras or change your passwords immediately." This was in response to recent Iranian ballistic missile attacks that damaged several high-rise buildings in Tel who is now the CEO of cybersecurity crisis company Code Blue, said that Iranian agents have been trying to get into internet-connected surveillance systems over the past few days to check how accurate rocket hits are and make plans for future attacks. The conflict between Israel and Iran has spread to online, where attacks are getting stronger along with real attacks. A group of hackers supporting Israel called Predatory Sparrow said they were behind recent hacks that shut down a major Iranian bank and got into a local bitcoin exchange. In reaction, IRIB, Iran's state television, said that Israel had started a large-scale hack on Iran's most important assets. As part of Iran's strategy operations, the National Cyber Directorate of Israel stated that there have been more efforts to break into linked devices, especially security cams. A spokesman said, "These attempts have been going on all through the war and are happening more often now." 🚨🇮🇷💥🇮🇱 Iran has reportedly hacked internet-connected home security cameras across Israel to conduct surveillance and gather intelligence. — Defense Intelligence (@DI313_) June 20, 2025 Israel has officially banned the sharing of video of rocket impacts for security reasons, but some pictures are still making the rounds on social the meantime, Iran has started a campaign against what it sees as sabotage networks inside the country that it says are linked to Israel's Mossad intelligence agency. The Iranian government recently said that they had seized 14 drones, found secret companies that made drones, and stopped cars carrying robotic aircraft in several people were arrested in Lorestan Province on suspicion of working as Mossad spies. They were accused of sharing anti-government material online and stirring up Iranian intelligence broke up what they thought was an explosives production cell that was working in Alborz and Isfahan Provinces. The cell was apparently led by a Mossad agent who was caught in with its military and defense measures, Iran has had strict rules on the internet ever since the fighting started. Access to a lot of websites has been blocked in whole or in part. The government has told people to use connected gadgets less and be aware of possible digital weaknesses. These events show that the online aspect of the conflict between Iran and Israel is getting worse. The two countries are now at war on physical, digital, and mental fronts. © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (
Al Bawaba
3 days ago
- Al Bawaba
University of Birmingham Dubai students win fifth edition of the ADNOC-Bloomberg Trading Challenge
Students from University of Birmingham Dubai have won the 2025 edition of the ADNOC-Bloomberg Trading Challenge, marking the fifth edition of the unique commodities-focused competition designed to help students in the UAE showcase their skills in data analytics and Rania Guinomla and Malishka Kaur Bhasin from 'Fortune Traders' team were named the winners for their strategy, which which stood out for its disciplined "hold and watch" investment approach. The winners are eligible for training placements with ADNOC Global challenge forms part of the ADNOC-Bloomberg for Education Initiative, a long-term collaboration between ADNOC, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and Bloomberg aimed at supporting the UAE's next generation of graduates. Over the years, it has become a key platform for students from competing universities to gain hands-on experience using Bloomberg Terminals, guided by Bloomberg analysts from various sectors. Throughout the challenge, teams from participating universities simulate analyst workflows and develop commodities trading strategies, which they present as a research report to a jury of financial sector experts. Saif Al Falahi, ADNOC Director of Group Business Support & Special Tasks, said: 'We warmly congratulate the winners of this year's ADNOC-Bloomberg Trading Challenge on their exceptional performance in a competition that we are proud to have championed since its launch. The challenge offers a valuable platform for the next generation of UAE trading professionals to build the skills and hands-on experience needed to lead the fast-evolving world of global energy trading and drive the UAE's continued economic success.'In 2025, more than 450 students from nine universities took part in the challenge. Five teams were shortlisted as finalists, each presenting their approach to Massias, Head of Market Specialists - Middle East & Africa, Bloomberg LP said: 'What stands out most to me is how collaborative and committed these students are. They come in eager to learn and they leave with a real understanding of how to work with data, how to think critically, and perhaps most importantly, how to make informed decisions. This year's teams were impressive, and it's great to see such consistently strong talent in the UAE, especially at a time when the country is investing so much in innovation and digital skills.' Launched in 2019 following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ADNOC, Bloomberg, and the Ministry of Education, the initiative was created to equip future generations of UAE students with the financial skills needed to thrive in today's dynamic and globally connected world. Since then, it has continued to grow in scale and impact, supporting over 9,000 students and installing 100 Bloomberg Terminals across five of the UAE's leading universities: Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi University, UAE University, New York University Abu Dhabi, and the Higher Colleges of Technology. © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba ( Signal PressWire is the world's largest independent Middle East PR distribution service.
