Middle East Economic Crime Survey 2016

Cybercrime
Survey Explorer

Take a look at how respondents from different territories and industries responded to our questions regarding cybercrime.

Explore Cybercrime

The real cost of Cybercrime

Cybercrime is affecting everyone, across all countries and all sectors, even those that might have thought themselves immune.

21% of respondents in the region didn’t know if they’d been a victim of cybercrime, and many of those who answered no were probably victims as well, they’re just not aware of it. Just over a quarter of those who admitted they’d suffered cybercrime told us there had been no financial loss as a result. Given that many Middle Eastern organisations see their brand or reputation as their single most important asset, it’s significant that 42% of respondents in the region said they’d suffered high or medium level damage to their reputation as a result of cyber-attacks, compared to 30% globally.

21% of respondents in the region didn’t know if they’d been a victim of cybercrime by staff

Tackling Cybercrime head on

Tackling cybercrime means managing and planning for it in the same way as any other business threat or potential disruption. Prevention is better than cure, but it’s important to be properly prepared if an attack does happen. That requires detailed crisis planning, clear roles and responsibilities, regular and rigorous testing, and a cross-functional team ready to respond immediately. But at the moment only 33% of the region’s respondents have operational plans in place with fully trained staff, and most of those people are from IT.