Mastercard has published its first Cyber Pulse report, offering a detailed assessment of the cyber threat landscape across Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The report underscores why cyber resilience is now central to business continuity and economic stability as digital services expand across the region.
The Cyber Pulse combines regional threat intelligence from Mastercard’s Cyber Insights platform with security evaluations from RiskRecon, which benchmarks the security of internet-facing assets. It also integrates advanced threat analysis from Recorded Future, acquired by Mastercard in December 2024, to identify emerging risk patterns and actor activity.
With this combined visibility, the report translates technical threat activity into practical guidance for maintaining operational resilience and long term trust in the digital economy. Global research cited in the report highlights the high financial stakes: IBM’s cost of a data breach 2025 shows the average breach in the Middle East costs about US$7.29 million per incident, some 64 percent above the global average, reinforcing why cyber resilience must be a leadership priority.
Findings show cybercrime rose in early 2026 following periods of geopolitical instability, and that financially motivated and disruptive incidents accounted for 71 percent of observed activity across EEMEA. The data underlines the need for organisations to move beyond awareness to sustained readiness, with continuous monitoring and integrated controls to reduce disruption and financial loss.
‘Cyber resilience is synonymous with business resilience and operational wellbeing,’ said Selin Bahadirli, Executive Vice President Services, EEMEA, Mastercard. ‘Our first Cyber Pulse report highlights the importance for organisations adopting a proactive and integrated approach to cybersecurity alongside consistent vigilance. At Mastercard, we are committed to empowering our partners and customers with the intelligence, tools, and expertise they need to navigate the complex cyber landscape.’
For Pakistan’s banks, telecoms, fintechs and government agencies, the Cyber Pulse findings are a timely reminder to prioritise cyber resilience as digital adoption accelerates. Strengthening threat intelligence sharing, continuously assessing external attack surfaces and investing in sustained readiness will be critical steps to protect operations, customer trust and the broader digital economy.
