A global study by Zoho reveals strong cybersecurity momentum Saudi Arabia, with 86% of organisations prioritising security frameworks and 88% already implementing Zero Trust strategies. The State of Workplace Password Security 2026 report, released May 13, 2026, reflects a clear shift toward mature security practices aligned with global standards.
As the Kingdom advances toward Vision 2030, 84% of Saudi organisations plan to increase cybersecurity budgets over the next five years. However, 34% reported suffering a cyberattack in the past year, underscoring ongoing threats to business operations across the region.
Foundation of Security Controls in Place
Saudi organisations have established solid foundational protections, led by high adoption of secure browsers (70%), email security (60%), and device management (54%). Additionally, 78% of organisations believe they have adequate identity protection tools currently in place.
“The Kingdom is entering a new phase of cybersecurity maturity as it continues to move ahead with Vision 2030. Organisations have made significant progress in establishing core protections, but the focus must now shift to intelligent, unified security with a strong focus on identity security,” said Hyther Nizam, CEO, Zoho Middle East and Africa.
Identity Security Gap Remains Critical
The study highlights a significant gap between strategic intent and execution depth. Only 62% of organisations have achieved full identity visibility and control. Advanced identity security measures show low adoption rates: Identity and Access Management (38%), Multi-Factor Authentication (28%), Single Sign-On (28%), and passkeys (24%). These gaps leave potential vulnerabilities in critical access layers.
Top perceived threats targeting identities include malicious insiders (22%), former employees (20%), and social engineering and phishing attacks (16% each). Nearly half of organisations cite exponential growth in identities (49%) as the biggest barrier to achieving zero standing privileges.
AI Adoption and Vendor Fragmentation
Saudi organisations increasingly turn to artificial intelligence to strengthen security defenses. 64% are likely to adopt AI-driven tools, with demand focused on real-time threat detection (78%), user behaviour analytics (53%), and risk-based access control (51%). This cybersecurity momentum Saudi Arabia reflects growing investment in advanced security technologies.
Vendor fragmentation remains prevalent. Half of organisations rely on four to six vendors, potentially increasing complexity and operational risk. 82% of respondents emphasised the importance of integrating security solutions with everyday enterprise tools, underscoring the need for unified security ecosystems.
Key Challenges and Solutions
The report revealed key obstacles: cost of security solutions (32%), rapidly evolving threats (26%), and lack of specialised expertise (20%). Zoho offers integrated credential security solutions including Zoho Vault for enterprise password and passkey management, Zoho Directory for workforce identity management, and Zoho OneAuth for passwordless authentication with biometric and TOTP support.
Zoho Vault enables organisations to securely store, manage, and share sensitive credentials from a centralised vault. It enforces strong access controls, monitors usage, and maintains password hygiene through role-based access, workflows, and audit reports. The solution uses AES-256 encryption, multi-factor authentication, and zero-knowledge architecture for secure credential management.
