MENA Startups Face a Cybersecurity Wake-Up Call
An article by Dmitry Marinov, CTO of ANY.RUN, a UAE-based cybersecurity company.
As the MENA startup ecosystem matures, cybersecurity has shifted from a back-office concern to a boardroom topic.
With investors now demanding tangible proof of security controls—and not just compliance claims—founders must treat cybersecurity as a marker of operational maturity, not an afterthought.
In 2025, MENA startups face mounting pressure to align with both domestic compliance regimes and global investor expectations tied to ISO 27001, SOC2, and GDPR-like standards.
What’s new is that these aren’t just policies on paper — they now demand proof of practice.
Author summary: MENA startups face increased cybersecurity demands.