DUBAI: Cybersecurity is becoming a bigger concern for companies and governments across the region, according to Mastercard’s first Cyber Pulse report.
The report looked at cyber threats across Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa over the past year.
It combined threat data from Mastercard’s Cyber Insights platform, organizational cyber health checks from RiskRecon, and threat intelligence from Recorded Future.
Mastercard said the report aims to show how cyber risk affects business operations, public trust, and economic continuity.
For Filipino professionals in the UAE, the report also shows where future job demand may grow.
As more businesses move online, companies need people who can protect systems, secure customer data, manage risk, and respond to cyber incidents.
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Public, Tech, and Finance Sectors Face High Risk
The report found that public, technology, and financial sectors make up 44 percent of cyberthreat activity in the EEMEA region.
These sectors are often targeted because they hold valuable data and support important digital services.
Business systems, customer information, and physical infrastructure were the top targets.
Together, they accounted for 66 percent of all targets in the report.
Attackers often aim to disrupt operations, commit fraud, or cause damage.
The report also said financially motivated and disruptive activities made up 71 percent of observed cybercrime in the region.
What This Means for Filipino Professionals
The findings matter for Filipino workers in IT, banking, accounting, compliance, administration, customer service, and operations.
Cybersecurity is no longer only a technical department issue.
Companies now need staff who understand safe systems, data protection, fraud prevention, reporting, and business continuity.
This may create opportunities for Filipinos who can upskill in cybersecurity basics, risk management, cloud security, application security, data privacy, and incident response.
Professionals working in finance and technology may also benefit from learning how cyber risks affect daily operations and customer trust.
Skills That May Become More Valuable
Mastercard said common attack methods such as malware, ransomware, and email-based social engineering continue to affect the region.
It also identified application security and web encryption as areas that need more improvement.
This points to demand for professionals who can help companies check digital weaknesses and fix them early.
Useful skills may include cybersecurity awareness, secure coding, vulnerability management, network monitoring, risk assessment, and cyber compliance.
Even non-technical workers can benefit by learning phishing prevention, data handling, and basic digital safety practices.
Digital Resilience Supports Business Growth
Selin Bahadirli, Executive Vice President Services, EEMEA at Mastercard, said cyber resilience is tied to business resilience and operational wellbeing.
Mastercard said strong cybersecurity also matters for micro, small, and medium-sized businesses that depend on reliable digital access.
The company has invested about $12.6 billion in cybersecurity innovation since 2019.
It is also working to connect and protect 500 million individuals and small businesses by 2030.
