The report warned of future challenges associated with Post-Quantum Cryptography, as a regional survey showed that 61% of organizations in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa are not prepared for the post-quantum era, while only 12% have begun deploying quantum-safe security technologies.
This challenge is linked to the potential for “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks, in which attackers collect encrypted data today with the intention of decrypting it in the future as quantum computing capabilities evolve.
Secure Access
The report identified a number of strategic areas expected to receive priority in the Saudi banking sector in the coming phase. These include strengthening operational resilience testing and cyber stress testing for banks, expanding the adoption of sovereign cloud and Sovereign SASE solutions to ensure data localization, tightening third-party and supply chain risk management, investing in AI-powered threat detection, and establishing early roadmaps for adopting post-quantum cryptography technologies.
Digital Transformation
The report highlights the growing relationship between the acceleration of digital transformation in the financial sector and the rising requirements for cybersecurity protection, as reliance on cloud infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and digital financial services continues to expand. The findings indicate that cyber resilience has become a key component in the stability of businesses and the banking sector within modern digital economies.
The report also noted the expanding adoption of Sovereign SASE solutions that combine secure networking, cybersecurity operations, and unified protection platforms to support institutions operating in highly regulated sectors such as financial services, government entities, and critical infrastructure.
Investments are also moving toward the development of local cloud infrastructure within countries across the region, enabling institutions to retain sensitive data within national borders amid growing data sovereignty requirements and regulatory frameworks related to information protection.
