Cyberwar

Middle East, over 1,000 cyber attacks since the beginning of the war. Israel, the Emirates and Iran hardest hit

Cyber attacks have increased considerably in recent years, reaching 17,770 by 2025. Sofia Scozzari, CEO of Hackmanac: "Companies are already in the crosshairs. AI amplifies this"

by Letizia Giostra

20 April 2026

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

Most targeted countries
Increase in cyber attacks: +113% by 2024
European and Italian companies are also involved
Artificial intelligence as a weapon

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

There are not only wars that are fought on the ground, as there are also those that develop through other channels. Internet, for example, is one of them. Since 28 February, the day of the start of the attack by the United States and Israel on Iran, there have been 1,245 cyber attacks involving 99 different threat actors and 14 countries.

These are just some of the data collected by Hackmanac, the platform that monitors and analyses the computer threats globally. Numbers that were examined during the webinar 'AI, NOW: the new game of geopolitics', promoted by the AI Think Tank of Assintel, the digital business association of Confcommercio.

There are many ways to attack through the network: public and demonstration actions; influence and information manipulation operations; cyber espionage activities; sabotage or disruption operations. The aim is to compromise the business continuity of services, supply chains and infrastructures.

The most targeted countries

Among the countries targeted by cyber attacks, Israel was the most targeted, recording 603 hits on systems. Far behind are the United Arab Emirates (85 attacks) and Iran (32). The latter collect the highest average severity. The sectors most affected are the military, finance and media. But they are not the only countries on the list: Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia also recorded a high number of system incursions. Less targeted, on the other hand, were Oman and Yemen, which close the ranking with 10 and 2 cyber attacks respectively.

Increase in cyber attacks: +113% by 2024

According to Hackmanac's data, attacks through the network have increased dramatically in recent years, reaching 17,770 in 2025, a 113% increase over the previous year.

A figure that does not change, but worsens, if we look back at previous years: from 2018 to 2025, the number of detected 'cyber' incidents grew by more than eleven times, with an acceleration from 2023, marking an increase of 184%.

European and Italian companies are also involved

This is a problem that affects companies all over the world, and European and Italian companies are not missing from the roll-call. Dependence on large American technology providers, supply chain vulnerability, exposure to disinformation and even geopolitically oriented campaigns are the reasons that bend companies when involved - directly or indirectly - in a cyberwar. Business continuity of services, reputation, management under conditions of high uncertainty and knock-on effects on customers, suppliers and international partners are just some of the risks.

Artificial Intelligence as a weapon

"The current geopolitical context, starting with the US-Iran war that we monitor live from our systems, shows how the boundaries between physical and cyber warfare are now irrelevant for those affected. Companies, even those far from the theatre of operations, are already in the crosshairs: through compromised suppliers, shared platforms, disinformation campaigns. AI amplifies all this, both as an attack vector and as a defence tool. Those who do not equip themselves with threat intelligence capabilities today, tomorrow will find themselves managing a crisis without tools," were the words of Sofia Scozzari, CEO & Founder of Hackmanac and Vice-coordinator of the Assintel Cyber Think Tank, during the webinar.

On the subject of artificial intelligence, Fabrizio Milano D'Aragona, AI Think Tank Assintel Coordinator, returns to the subject, stating: 'AI is not only technological innovation, but also a topic deeply linked to geopolitical balances. We need to help companies understand how the relationship between technology and power has an immediate and decisive impact on the productive fabric. This is an aspect that can no longer be underestimated and that should also guide political choices in support of technological transition. Solutions exist, in Italia and in Europe. The challenge of data and information protection is something that emerges clearly every day also in the discussion with professionals and entrepreneurs within Assintel's AI Think Tank'.