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The vast majority of CEOs and senior executives in the UAE – 97.6 percent – plan to increase their investments in artificial intelligence (AI) for cybersecurity reasons, amid a continued increase in cyberattacks, according to a new study published Monday.
Commissioned by Palo Alto Networks, the Censuswide study found that respondents saw a significant increase in attacks, with 63 percent reporting higher attacks compared to 2023, and 14 percent reporting the same level of attacks than in 2023.
The survey included opinions from 250 CEOs and senior executives of UAE companies between September 18 and 25, 2024.
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The survey results were revealed on the first day of Gitex Global – the world’s largest gathering of IT companies. The exhibition will take place from October 14 to 18 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
However, UAE businesses also appear confident that they can protect their operations through investments in AI. Around 94% of respondents said they have confidence in the effectiveness of AI tools in detecting or mitigating cyber threats compared to traditional cybersecurity solutions.
The survey found that 90 percent of respondents had already implemented AI for cybersecurity, with 52 percent reporting extensive implementations and 38 percent having limited deployments.
Opinions were more divided on exactly how AI can help UAE organizations improve their cybersecurity posture, with 42 percent saying AI would be most effective in improving speed and efficiency through automation, with 39 percent saying it would primarily make threat detection easier. and 35 percent believe it would improve vulnerability management.
“While it is reassuring that so many CEOs and business leaders in the UAE are keen to invest in AI to improve their security profile, it is imperative that organizations deploy AI in the right way and understand the importance of taking a fully integrated approach. with the platform at its heart,” said Ercan Aydin, Palo Alto Networks regional vice president, Middle East and Africa.
Ercan Aydin
“A fully integrated approach allows organizations to eliminate the confusion that often accompanies AI implementations, allowing them to fully harness the power of AI to stay ahead of threat dynamics constantly evolving while simplifying their security posture,” he said.
The study found that while most business leaders surveyed in the UAE understand the importance of AI for cybersecurity, they still see barriers to investment, with the cost, complexity of integration, uncertainty over return on investment (RoI) and lack of clear business benefits. cited as main concerns.
Additionally, executives are also concerned about the potential implications of using this technology. For example, 50 percent of respondents worry about privacy issues, 48 percent worry about possible misuse of AI, 46 percent cite integration challenges as a concern, and 45 percent are worried about the cost.
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Wahid Abbas
Waheed Abbas is an associate editor, covering real estate, aviation and other business topics that directly affect the lives of UAE consumers. He also frequently reports human interest stories.
