In December 2024, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) emerged as one of the most targeted nations for malware attacks, according to Acronis’ latest Cyberthreats Report. The report highlights a 197% surge in email-based cyberattacks globally during the second half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.
The UAE recorded the highest percentage of blocked malicious URLs in December 2024, accounting for 16.2% of global detections, surpassing Brazil (13.2%) and Singapore (12.0%). Nearly half of all users were targeted by email-based attacks at least once between July and December 2024, with 31.4% of emails classified as spam and 1.4% containing malware or phishing links. Meanwhile, 33% of managed service providers (MSPs) experienced phishing campaigns, with attackers also exploiting vulnerabilities in remote access tools like RDP.
Expert Analysis:
Cybercriminals follow the money, and the UAE—home to major financial institutions and multinational corporations—is an increasingly attractive target. The fact that it leads global detections of malicious URLs suggests that either attackers are ramping up their efforts against the region or that local security teams are particularly effective at blocking threats. But blocking isn’t enough. The rise of email-based attacks and the continued targeting of MSPs show that attackers are refining their methods, exploiting human vulnerabilities as much as technical ones. If these trends continue, the UAE could soon shift from being a testing ground for cybercriminals to a primary battleground.
Read the full article here.
