The survey by Mimecast was conducted at a time when hybrid work environments have given rise to cyber-attacks.

Online shopping as well as remote working have been two of the most prominent digital trends that gained ground during the pandemic alongside virtual classrooms, and people in Middle Eastern tech hubs like UAE and Saudi Arabia were able to benefit tremendously from them thanks to a connected ecosystem. With these developments, the amount of user data along with transactions shot up significantly in the months that witnessed a fast-paced migration towards digital services on a massive scale.

But this rapid transition also gave cyber security mechanisms little time to keep up, while hackers as well as online scammers were quick to develop new ploys for swindling data from people via dubious links or mails, to pull off virtual heists. According to findings of a survey conducted by Mimecast, more than 80% people in the Emirates and more than 70% of their Saudi peers, have received mails as part of phishing attacks, amidst a cyber-crime wave in the region.

Months after authorities in the UAE warned netizens about a cyber pandemic affecting the gulf, 78% Emiratis and 75% from Saudi Arabia mentioned that they won't buy products from a brand which has been used by digital swindlers as a bait. At the same time, more than 80% also displayed awareness about how vulnerable they were to cyber fraud, including phishing, while conducting e-transactions and shopping from e-commerce platforms.

Phishing is a term for the act of posing as a bank employee or representative of a firm, in order to trick unsuspecting users into sharing personal info or codes, which can be used for breaking into their bank accounts through the internet. To avoid loss of consumer trust, brands can also use systems like DMARC for tackling spoofing of their domain via authentication.

In addition to that, tools are also available for monitoring email communication on behalf of the firm, and to find as well as eliminate sites falsely posing as a brand page.