Managing Risk | Lockton
Publish Date: 2026-03-29 03:00:00
Source Domain: global.lockton.com
Geopolitical tensions often lead to a surge in cyber risk as threat actors seek to exploit disruption, uncertainty, and stretched security resources. In recent weeks, the evolving situation in the Middle East has contributed to increased cyber activity affecting organisations across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). For risk managers and insurance professionals in this environment, preparedness is central to building cyber resilience and protecting operations.
Patterns in cyber activity linked to the conflict
Understanding recent cyber activity may help you prepare for emerging threats. Between 28 February and 1 March 2026, more than 150 hacktivist incidents were recorded {cloudsek.com (opens a new window)}. However, most involved distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, website disruptions, and data-leak claims rather than destructive intrusions.
These attacks have primarily targeted sectors providing essential services or highly visible digital platforms, including government, financial services, aviation and transportation, telecommunications, and energy infrastructure. Many incidents reported in Gulf states were successfully detected and mitigated, indicating that regional monitoring and defensive controls are functioning effectively.
State-aligned cyber activity is also increasing. Iranian cyber operations reportedly expanded significantly following the 2025 conflict and have continued to rise in 2026. However, much of this activity involves espionage, reconnaissance, or phishing campaigns rather than infrastructure-destroying attacks {dsci.in} (opens a new window).
Cybersecurity agencies have warned that organisations {bleepingcomputer.com} (opens a new window) with operations or supply chains in the region may face elevated background cyber risk as tensions persist, though this reflects a heightened threat environment rather than an expectation of catastrophic attacks.
Building resilience: practical risk mitigation steps
In this environment, cyber…
