Middle East conflict triggered 198% spike in cyber threats, Mastercard says
Cyberattacks across Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EEMEA) increased by 13% over the past year, with geopolitical conflicts, state-linked actors and increasingly sophisticated attack methods driving a more volatile threat landscape, according to Mastercard's Cyber Pulse Report 2026, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
The report, which examines cyber activity between March 2025 and March 2026, found that cyber operations in the region are increasingly linked to strategic objectives rather than purely financial motives. Critical infrastructure, government institutions, financial services, energy companies, technology firms and healthcare organizations remain among the most frequent targets.
Mastercard said attackers are shifting away from high-volume campaigns toward more targeted and coordinated operations that combine phishing, identity theft, malware deployment and lateral movement inside compromised networks. Cyber activity also tends to surge during periods of geopolitical instability.
One of the most significant spikes occurred following the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East earlier this year. According to the report, cyber threat activity jumped by 198% on the first day of the escalation, highlighting what Mastercard describes as the critical "first 10 days" after a geopolitical crisis begins. Elevated attack levels persisted throughout March 2026, even after the initial peak.
The Middle East accounted for the largest share of cyberattacks in the region over the past 12 months, receiving 49% of recorded attacks, followed by Eastern Europe with 36% and Africa with 15%. Ukraine, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates were identified as the most targeted countries. Mastercard attributed Ukraine's exposure to ongoing geopolitical conflict, while Pakistan and the UAE faced heightened risks due to regional tensions, expanding digital infrastructure and their strategic economic importance.
Public sector organizations, technology companies and financial institutions represented 44% of targeted industries. Government entities were particularly vulnerable because of their role in managing sensitive citizen data and critical services, while software providers, IT service firms, fintech companies and banks also faced sustained attack activity.
Malware, ransomware and email-based social engineering remained the most common attack methods. Mastercard noted that ransomware continues to be a primary tool for monetization, while denial-of-service attacks are increasingly used to disrupt operations. Organized cybercriminal groups, state-sponsored actors and hacktivists were identified as the leading sources of cyber activity across the region.
Despite rising investment in cybersecurity, the report warns that organizations continue to struggle with fundamental weaknesses. Application security, encryption, software patching and network filtering were highlighted as the most significant vulnerabilities. Mastercard's analysis of nearly 400 organizations in the region found that unpatched systems, weak web security configurations and outdated encryption practices remain common entry points for attackers.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Kazakhstan highlighted cybersecurity efforts at CSTO ministerial meeting.
