Mastercard's Cyber Pulse Report: Unveiling the Digital Resilience Crisis in EEMEA
The Mastercard Cyber Pulse report is a comprehensive analysis of the cyber threat landscape in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EEMEA) over the past year. It highlights the growing importance of cyber resilience for businesses and governments in the region, with a particular focus on the economic and operational implications of cyber threats.
One of the key findings of the report is the increasing cost of data breaches in the Middle East. According to IBM's 2025 data breach report, the average cost of a data breach in the region is nearly $7.29 million, which is 64% higher than the global average. This highlights the need for organizations to prioritize cyber resilience and take proactive measures to protect their digital assets.
The report also notes that cybercrime in the region increased in early 2026 following a period of geopolitical instability. This underscores the need for organizations to move beyond awareness and towards sustained cyber readiness and resilience. The report further emphasizes that financially motivated and disruptive activity accounts for 71% of observed cybercrime across EEMEA, reinforcing the need for stronger cyber readiness across sectors.
One of the primary targets for attackers, according to the report, is business systems, customer information, and physical infrastructure. Most attackers aim to disrupt operations, commit fraud, and cause physical damage. The public, technology, and financial sectors are particularly attractive targets due to the concentration of high-value data and their importance to economic and digital ecosystems.
The report also highlights the need for organizations to improve their application security and vulnerability management. Common attack methods such as malware, ransomware, and email-based social engineering continue to dominate across EEMEA. While baseline cyber health remains relatively strong in some markets, application security and web encryption emerge as consistent areas for improvement.
Mastercard's commitment to cybersecurity is underscored by its investment in trust and security. Since 2019, the company has invested approximately $12.6 billion in cybersecurity innovation. In 2025 alone, Mastercard processed 175 billion transactions, leveraging its insights and advanced data science to detect vulnerabilities faster and with greater precision, enhancing protection across the ecosystem.
The company's comprehensive suite of cyber advisory services, global partnerships, and intelligence-led capabilities, including Recorded Future, enable organizations to assess their cyber exposure, understand how threats may evolve, and translate intelligence into practical actions that strengthen trust, continuity, and resilience.
In conclusion, the Mastercard Cyber Pulse report highlights the growing importance of cyber resilience for businesses and governments in the EEMEA region. It underscores the need for organizations to prioritize cyber readiness and take proactive measures to protect their digital assets. Mastercard's commitment to cybersecurity and its investment in trust and security are key to helping organizations navigate the complex cyber landscape and build a more secure digital future.
