Businesses in the UAE are continuing to strengthen their cybersecurity systems, with a growing focus on artificial intelligence, zero trust strategies, and identity security, according to a new report released by Zoho Corp.
The company’s “State of Workplace Password Security 2026” report found that 96 per cent of organisations in the UAE believe they have the necessary tools to respond to cyber threats. Many companies are investing in real-time threat detection and endpoint security measures as digital adoption accelerates across the country.
Security readiness
The report highlighted strong cybersecurity preparedness among UAE enterprises, particularly in identity visibility and zero trust adoption compared to the wider Middle East and Africa region.
Around 80 per cent of organisations in the UAE said they already have a zero trust strategy in place. In addition, nearly 60 per cent reported they are close to achieving zero standing privileges, while 22 per cent said they have fully reached that goal.
Hyther Nizam, Chief Executive Officer at Zoho Middle East and Africa, said: “The UAE is one of the leading countries in digitalisation and AI adoption in the region, which makes it a target for cyberattacks. Most enterprises are showing security readiness with strong proactive security postures and reactive security tools to tackle attacks once they happen.”
Hyther Nizam
He added: “Many organisations have invested in detection and response capabilities, yet identity security—governing who has access to what, and under what conditions—remains a critical gap. Fixing this is essential because this gap creates entry points for attackers due to compromised credentials or excessive privileges.”
AI adoption
The report showed increasing confidence in AI-driven cybersecurity tools among UAE businesses.
About 64 per cent of organisations said AI improves security capabilities, while more than half have already adopted AI-powered cybersecurity solutions. Real-time threat detection and user behaviour analytics were among the most in-demand AI features.
The findings also showed that 76.4 per cent of businesses plan to increase cybersecurity spending over the next five years, reflecting continued investment in digital resilience.
Identity focus
The study noted that while companies have adopted several core cybersecurity measures, businesses are continuing to improve areas such as identity and access management, password protection, and advanced monitoring systems.
Technology and financial services firms made up the largest share of survey respondents, alongside healthcare, government, and education organisations. Most participating companies were mid-sized enterprises employing between 50 and 999 staff.
Zoho said identity and access control can be managed through tools such as Zoho Vault and Zoho Directory, which support password management, access control, and secure credential sharing for organisations.
tanvir@dubainewsweek.com
