Proofpoint’s 2026 Voice of the CISO report highlights stronger cyber resilience in the UAE, alongside a growing role for security leaders in enabling AI safely.

The UAE’s cybersecurity landscape is showing encouraging signs of progress, while the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence is creating a new and increasingly strategic role for security leaders.

According to Proofpoint’s 2026 Voice of the CISO report, the number of UAE CISOs who believe their organisations are at risk of a material cyberattack over the next 12 months has fallen to 49%, compared with 69% in 2025. Reported material data loss has also declined significantly, from 77% to 50%.

The findings point to a market that is becoming more resilient while simultaneously preparing for a new era of technology adoption.

With AI becoming increasingly embedded in everyday business, CISOs are moving beyond traditional security responsibilities and taking a more active role in helping organisations adopt emerging technologies with confidence.

AI Moves to the Centre of the CISO Role

The growing presence of generative AI is reshaping priorities across UAE organisations.

73% of UAE CISOs now identify GenAI as a security risk, a 19-percentage-point increase from the previous year. At the same time, 86% say enabling the safe use of AI assistants, copilots and automation is a top priority for the next two years.

The combination is significant. Security leaders are not simply being asked to protect organisations from new technologies; they are increasingly helping businesses make those technologies work safely.

“AI is fundamentally changing the CISO mandate,” said Patrick Joyce, Global Resident CISO at Proofpoint. “Security leaders are being asked to do two things at once: protect the business from technology risk and help it embrace transformative technology safely and rapidly.”

Resilience Is Moving Forward

The improvement in cyber resilience is one of the report’s most encouraging findings.

Expectations of a material cyberattack have declined substantially year on year, while material data loss has also fallen. At the same time, 83% of UAE CISOs believe their controls effectively mitigate risks introduced by AI, SaaS and modern work patterns.

These figures suggest growing confidence in organisations’ ability to navigate an increasingly digital operating environment.

Yet the evolution of technology means resilience is no longer simply about responding to traditional cyber threats. It increasingly depends on understanding how people, data, applications and AI interact across the modern workplace.

People Remain Central to the Next Phase

Human behaviour remains an important part of the cybersecurity conversation, with 73% of UAE CISOs identifying human risk as their organisation’s biggest cyber vulnerability.

Rather than signalling a weakness in isolation, the finding highlights an opportunity for organisations to strengthen security through greater awareness, education and responsible technology use as AI becomes part of everyday work.

This is particularly relevant as 86% of CISOs prioritise enabling the safe use of AI assistants, copilots and automation — placing security leaders at the heart of responsible AI adoption.

Cybersecurity Gains a Seat at the Boardroom Table

The growing strategic importance of cybersecurity is also reflected in stronger board-level alignment.

81% of UAE CISOs say they see eye-to-eye with their boards on cybersecurity, up significantly from 57% in 2025. Meanwhile, 84% believe cybersecurity expertise should be required at board-director level, compared with 61% a year earlier.

The shift reflects how cybersecurity is increasingly being viewed as a business priority rather than a purely technical function.

As organisations adopt AI, cloud platforms and increasingly connected digital workflows, security decisions are becoming closely linked to business continuity, reputation, innovation and long-term growth.

Building Confidence for an AI-Driven Future

The UAE findings present a picture of a cybersecurity ecosystem that is both more resilient and more ambitious.

The decline in expected attacks and material data loss signals progress, while the growing focus on AI demonstrates how quickly the role of cybersecurity is evolving.

For CISOs, the opportunity is no longer limited to protecting what already exists. It is increasingly about helping organisations build the confidence and governance needed to embrace what comes next.

As Joyce notes, continued progress will depend on security strategies evolving alongside where work and risk are headed.

And in the UAE, that evolution is already well underway.