Microsoft has released its 2026 Digital Defense Report. Its data shows the UAE ranked sixth globally among countries where Microsoft customers were most frequently affected by cyber activity in the first half of 2026.

The country ranked second in the Middle East and Africa.

The report draws on more than 165 trillion security signals each day. It identifies three shifts.

AI is accelerating both attacks and defence, and identity remains the primary route attackers use to gain access.

Cyber incidents are increasingly affecting parties beyond the original victim.

Meanwhile, Microsoft, the UAE Cyber Security Council (CSC) and Core42 plan to deploy MDASH, Microsoft’s AI-powered cybersecurity capability, across UAE government entities.

The capability is designed to help security teams identify vulnerabilities, prioritise risk and respond to threats more quickly.

The deployment will also support sovereign security and privacy requirements.

“The UAE is entering a phase in which AI is becoming part of the operating model of government and business.

Cybersecurity therefore cannot be treated as a separate layer added after transformation takes place,”

said Yazan Khasawneh, Director of Cyber Security at Microsoft UAE.

The report finds that attackers are using AI to operate faster and at greater scale.

Defenders are using AI to detect, investigate and disrupt threats more quickly.

At the same time, new AI systems introduce data, identities and access points that organisations must secure.

Microsoft recommends that organisations protect identities, respond faster and build resilience.

This includes stronger authentication, less reliance on passwords, regular testing of incident-response plans and systems that keep critical operations running during disruption.

Featured image: Edited by Fintech News UAE, based on image by Microsoft via its Press Release and thanyakij-12 via Magnific.