UAE businesses struggle with security breach declaration

Almost half of consumers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) say their view of a company subjected to a cyber attack would be unfavourable, and more than half say they would stop buying from a compromised company and would take legal action, according to study from security supplier FireEye.

Meanwhile, a report from VMware says UAE businesses are struggling to come clean about data breaches because most IT leaders in the country are covering up information about attacks.

The FireEye study, based on surveys of UAE consumers, makes worrying reading for Middle Eastern businesses that hold consumer data, given the country’s emergence as a regional hub for finance, retail and energy. This status has made UAE businesses enticing targets for cyber criminals, FireEye said in the report.