UAE Employees Surpass European Peers in Cyber Readiness, Cohesity Study Reveals

Dubai, 23 June 2025 – A new Cohesity study on “Employee readiness to confront cyber threats” found that full-time employees in the UAE significantly outperform counterparts in the UK, Germany, and France across key cyber preparedness metrics. This reflects the UAE’s robust investment in national cybersecurity, AI-powered defence, and awareness programs, solidifying its reputation as a regional leader in digital resilience. Raw data was published on 23 June 2025.

The study, conducted by data-security firm Cohesity, evaluated workforce confidence and behaviours in combatting cyberattacks across the UAE, UK, Germany, and France. Metrics included:

• Ability to detect cyber threats
• Trust in organizational defence capabilities
• Willingness to report suspicious incidents
• Recent cybersecurity awareness and training participation

UAE Outperforms European Counterparts

• 86% of UAE employees felt confident identifying cyber threats surpassing the UK (81%), Germany (80%), and France (62%).
• 89% trusted their organization’s ability to prevent/recover after an attack EU averages were notably lower.
• 66% received cybersecurity training in the last year, compared to EU engagement rates below 60%.
• 67% said they would report suspicious activity, compared to 61% in the UK, 53% in Germany, and 48% in France.

MEA Perspective: Why the UAE Leads

Government‑Led Digital Resilience Initiatives

The UAE’s performance correlates with strategic investments by the UAE Cyber Security Council, including:

1. AI-enhanced threat detection
2. Mandatory staff awareness programs
3. Regulatory frameworks tied to NESA
4. National initiatives like Cyber Sniper training

Regulatory Reinforcement

Corporate compliance mandates under UAE frameworks now require:

• Annual cybersecurity training
• Reporting of incidents via aeCERT
• Deployment of Security Operations Centers and EDR tools

Regional Model for MEA

Other MEA countries-like Saudi Arabia, Kenya, and South Africa are watching the UAE’s approach closely, aiming to replicate its strategy for workforce readiness and public–private collaboration.

Global Context & Competitive Landscape

Benchmarking with Europe

• UK and Germany rely on GDPR-driven awareness campaigns, but lower survey responses suggest potential fatigue or budget limitations.
• France’s results, especially in threat detection confidence (62%), highlight vulnerability to phishing and social-engineering attacks.

Insights from Experts

Johnny Karam, MD & VP, Cohesity International Emerging Region:

“The findings reflect the UAE’s clear leadership in cybersecurity readiness across the EMEA region. … employee awareness is rising in step with enterprise investment.”

Mark Molyneux, CTO, EMEA, Cohesity:

“These findings confirm what we’re seeing across the region: employees are increasingly aware of cyber risks… largely due to the UAE Cyber Security Council’s approach to increasing security awareness.” (proofpoint.com)

Technical Section: Behavioural Security (No MITRE Mapping)

Although human-centred, survey results affirm best practices in social resilience:

• Detection Confidence (86%) indicates strong awareness training
• Reporting Preparedness (67%) shows maturity in internal telemetry use

No TTPs or IOCs were reported, consistent with survey focus rather than technical incident detailing.

Actionable Takeaways for Security Professionals

1. Sustain Training Cadence: Implement annual cybersecurity training to maintain high detection confidence. UAE’s 66% participation rate is a model.
2. Strengthen Reporting Culture: Encourage staff reporting—UAE’s 67% reporting readiness outpaces Europe.
3. Measure Workforce Sentiment: Add confidence and trust metrics to SOC dashboards as resilience KPIs.
4. Mandate Awareness in Policy: Tie training and simulations to regulatory compliance in MEA and beyond.
5. Use AI for Threat Detection: Leverage AI like UAE’s pools to augment SOC and awareness programs.
6. Promote Public–Private Collaboration: Engage with local cybersecurity councils to align initiatives.
7. Share Cross‑Sector Trends: Benchmark training and reporting metrics with peers and regions.
8. Link Training to Cyber Insurance: Use confidence levels and documentation to negotiate policies.
9. Bridge Perception‑Reality Gaps: Regularly test workforce readiness with red-team or phishing simulation.
10. Expand to Underperforming Regions: Deploy UAE-like programs in KSA, Kenya, and Nigeria to raise regional standards.

Conclusion

The Cohesity study confirms that UAE employees lead Europe in cyber readiness, thanks to strategic investment, robust training, and a culture of reporting. MEA CISOs can harness these insights to shape regional best practices and foster stronger public–private collaboration. For global cyber leaders, the UAE’s model proves that a prepared workforce, underpinned by regulatory alignment and AI-driven support, is key to resilient defence in today’s digital wave.

Sources

• WAM: “Employee readiness to confront Cyber threats” study, 23 June 2025. (cohesity.com)
• CPX & UAE Cyber Security Council press release, 25 February 2025. (zawya.com)
• Economy Middle East coverage of vulnerability data, 25 February 2025. (economymiddleeast.com)

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