As armed conflicts and geopolitical tensions reshape the global risk landscape, cyber warfare and geopolitical conflict are becoming increasingly interconnected. Cyber operations are now an important tool of state competition and a force multiplier in modern warfare.

AKE’s Cyber Warfare and Business Risk in the Middle East brief examines how cyber operations are being used alongside conventional military force, intelligence and information operations, and what these developments mean for businesses across the region.

The Middle East, particularly the 2026 Iran war, provides a compelling case study. On 28 June, following reports of increased Iranian cyberattacks against Israel, Yossi Karadi, Director General of Israel’s National Cyber Directorate, warned that, unlike conventional warfare, cyberspace has no ceasefire.

The brief explores how cyber capabilities can disrupt systems, support targeting, degrade command and control, influence perceptions and threaten critical infrastructure. It also examines the wider impact on digitally dependent sectors, including aviation, energy, telecommunications, financial services and manufacturing.

As modern conflicts increasingly span both physical and digital domains, understanding the relationship between cyber warfare, geopolitical conflict and business risk is becoming vital for organisations seeking to strengthen cyber resilience and prepare for an evolving risk landscape.