Middle East Region OT/ICS & SCADA
Cybersecurity Threat Assessment Report 2026

Middle East OT ICS & SCADA Cybersecurity Threat Landscape Overview

The Middle East is no longer a secondary target, it is a primary cyber battleground. In 2025, the region recorded 14 OT/ICS incidents per month on average, up from just 1 in 2018. Iranian state-aligned APTs (OilRig, MuddyWater, CyberAv3ngers), alongside Russian and Chinese SIGINT units, actively targeted Gulf and MENA networks throughout the year. Geopolitical motivation drives 34% of all attributed incidents the highest share globally reflecting the region's role at the epicentre of active interstate conflicts. Transport infrastructure accounts for 49% of all incidents, with oil and gas refineries at 26%, making these sectors the most critical attack surfaces in the region.

Why This Report Is Different From Every Other Threat Report

Most threat reports present generic statistics with little operational value. This report is built on data from 80+ global honeypot nodes processing 200 million signals daily, validated through a rigorous double-blind methodology. Every incident is fingerprinted, classified using the MITRE ATT&CK framework, and scored via Shieldworkz's proprietary Threat Rank Index. The result is intelligence that supports board-level decisions, security investment planning, and incident response prioritisation, not just a summary of what happened.

Why It Is Important to Download This Report

Middle East critical infrastructure operators face a threat environment unlike any other region. The combination of state sponsored attacks, access brokers, ransomware groups, and AI-accelerated reconnaissance demands region specific intelligence not global averages. This report provides:

Detailed TTP mapping of active Iranian, Russian, and Chinese APT groups operating in your region

Sector-by-sector incident breakdown covering oil & gas, transport, water, and power

Attack motivation analysis that reveals which threats are pre-positioning for future strikes

Actionable recommendations aligned to IEC 62443, NIST CSF, and MITRE ATT&CK for ICS

Key Takeaways from the Report

Transport infrastructure is the most targeted sector at 49% railways, ports, airports, and pipelines are all active targets

Reconnaissance activity stands at 21% signalling that many threat actors are pre-positioning for future high-impact strikes within the next 12–24 months

AI is being actively weaponised CyberAv3ngers uses GPT models for PLC research; 9% of all attacks globally now carry a detectable AI signal, up from 1% in 2020

Access brokers (7% of incidents) create a force multiplier risk a single sold foothold can fuel multiple simultaneous downstream campaigns

Iran operates a mosaic cyber model with built-in operational resilience, meaning attacks persist even when connectivity is disrupted during active conflict

How Shieldworkz Supports Middle East Organizations

Shieldworkz is a global OT security company with a dedicated presence in the UAE and deep expertise across Gulf and MENA markets. Our support model spans the full security lifecycle:

OT Security Assessments gap assessments aligned to IEC 62443, NIS2, and regional regulatory requirements

Threat Intelligence continuous, region-specific OT threat intelligence from the world's largest OT-focused honeypot network

Incident Response Planning OT-specific IR playbooks covering ransomware, destructive malware, and safety system compromise

Managed Detection OT-native NDR deployment and monitoring through our specialist OT Security Operations Centre

Supply Chain Risk third-party access audits, SBOM validation, and firmware integrity verification

Download the Report. Talk to the Team. Strengthen What Matters.

The Middle East Region OT ICS & SCADA Cybersecurity Threat Report 2026 is intended for leaders who need more than surface-level commentary. It is for the teams responsible for uptime, resilience, safety, and risk reduction.

Fill out the form to download your copy of the report and book a free 30-minute technical briefing with a Shieldworkz Middle East Expert Team. Use the findings to benchmark your OT security posture, strengthen your response planning, and identify the controls that will matter most for your Middle East Region operations in 2026.

Middle East Region OT/ICS & SCADA Cybersecurity Threat Assessment Report 2026