Cyberthreats in the GCC and Middle East

Cyberattacks present themselves in a multitude of facets, although there is no absolute single definition for cybercrime in existence. From a general perspective, cybercrime can be defined as “illegal activities, internet mediated, that occur in the context of global economic networks”. The main categories of attacks are hacktivism, financial theft, data theft, ransomware, cyberespionage, cyberterrorism and cyberwarfare. Last year shed light on new dimensions of cyberthreats in the political arena, as diplomatic confrontations erupted between the United States and Russia over allegations of Russian hacking aimed at influencing the US election. But cybercrimes are materializing globally and growing exponentially. The damages being caused by cybercrime vary from financial to reputational, as well as political and military. Cyberattacks are capable of penetrating highly sensitive and protected sectors, such as defense and national security. What is causing the rapidly evolving categories of attacks is the augmentation of internet traffic and usage, combined