Mastercard Releases Cyber Pulse Report
Analysis based on 7 articles · First reported Jun 09, 2026 · Last updated Jun 09, 2026
The release of Mastercard's Cyber Pulse report highlights the increasing financial risks associated with cybercrime, particularly in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Africa regions. This event is likely to increase market attention on cybersecurity solutions and services, benefiting companies like Mastercard and its subsidiaries, while also prompting businesses and governments to invest more in cyber resilience to mitigate potential losses from data breaches and operational disruptions.
Mastercard released its inaugural Cyber Pulse report, providing a comprehensive overview of the evolving cyber threat landscape across Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EEMEA). The report, which integrates intelligence from Mastercard's Cyber Insights platform, Moody s Corporation — RiskRecon, and Recorded Future (acquired by Mastercard in December 2024), reveals that cybercrime in the region increased in early 2026 following geopolitical instability. Financially motivated and disruptive activities account for 71% of cybercrime in EEMEA. The report highlights that the average cost of a data breach in the Middle East is US$7.29 million, 64% higher than the global average, making cyber resilience a critical board-level concern. Business systems, customer information, and physical infrastructure are primary targets, with public, technology, and financial sectors accounting for 44% of targeted industries. Mastercard, through its Executive Vice President Services, EEMEA, Selin Bahadirli, emphasized its commitment to empowering partners with intelligence and tools, having invested approximately $12.6 billion in cybersecurity innovation since 2019.
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