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INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Enterprise Security

Werno Gevers , Eybersecurity Expert , Mimecast , explains Mimecast ’ s recent Brand Trust Survey across the UAE and Saudi , that feature key insights on respondents ’ susceptibility to cybercrime and highlights the role of brands in protecting their customers from cyberattacks .

In a survey conducted by Mimecast , 75 % of consumers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ( KSA ) and 78 % of consumers in the UAE , said they would stop spending money with their favourite brand if they fell victim to a phishing attack involving that brand . Compared to a global average of 57 %, this places the region ’ s consumers among the most unforgiving of all markets surveyed .

Consider that research conducted earlier in 2020 revealed that 36 % of organisations in the region saw an increase in brand impersonation via counterfeit websites , and 40 % saw a rise in malicious email spoofing , and brands face a real challenge with protecting their customers .

And protect them they must . More than 80 % of consumers in the region [ 83 % in UAE , 82 % in KSA ] believe it is the brand ’ s responsibility to protect itself from email impersonation . A similar percentage said it is the brand ’ s responsibility to protect itself from fake versions of its website .

The reasons are evident in the data . Eightytwo percent of consumers in the UAE and

71 % of consumers in KSA have received phishing emails in their inbox . Two-thirds of consumers in KSA and more than threequarters of consumers in the UAE have also been directed to a spoofed website following a web search .

Considering the continued shift to online shopping and digital interactions between brands and their customers , the financial imperatives of providing adequate protection for customers online are clear .

As we head into peak holiday shopping season , organisations will need to go to greater lengths to protect their brands from cybercriminals who imitate their websites and emails and launch phishing attacks on their customers .

Implementing effective controls , such as brand exploit protection services and DMARC , can limit opportunities for criminals to imitate beloved brands and dupe their customers .

Data from Mimecast ’ s State of Email Security 2021 report found that seven out of 10 organisations in the UAE had already deployed a brand protection service , with a further 27 % indicating near-term plans to do so .

And while only 23 % already make use of DMARC , a technology that helps prevent brands ’ email domains being hijacked by threat actors , 62 % said they are either in the process of implementing it or have plans to do so in the next twelve months .

Creating greater cyber awareness can also help protect customers . Encouraging customers to take steps such as checking URLs within the emails they receive , checking spelling , and researching the sender online can help weed out potentially risky emails . p

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