By the second half of 2025, cyber attacks have escalated at an unprecedented pace, targeting vital sectors and major companies. The global arena has witnessed a series of electronic hacks and ransomware attacks. It affected industrial, commercial and cultural institutions, and caused serious economic and strategic damage. This indicates that the digital field has become a complex arena of conflict that requires constant vigilance and a firm response.
Among the most prominent of these incidents, the British company Jaguar Land Rover was subjected to a large-scale electronic attack. It led to the cessation of production in its factories for about six weeks, incurring losses estimated at approximately 1.9 billion pounds sterling, making it the largest cyber loss in the history of the United Kingdom. In a similar incident, the Marks & Spencer chain of stores was forced to suspend its electronic services after its systems were hacked by a third party, which led to the disruption of orders, a decline in the supply of products, and operational losses amounting to about 300 million pounds sterling, of which about 100 million were covered by insurance.
In the media sector, the CL0P criminal group targeted the systems of the Washington Post newspaper, as part of a global campaign that exploited vulnerabilities in the Oracle E-Business Suite platform, and affected more than 100 international institutions. As for Japan, the Asahi company was subjected to a cyber attack that disrupted its ordering and shipping systems, forcing it to temporarily suspend production operations. In the cultural field, the album of the international Spanish artist “Rosalia,” entitled “Lux,” was leaked before its official release date, raising renewed concerns about the protection of intellectual property in the digital environment.
In the face of these mounting challenges, the Kingdom of Bahrain stands out as an advanced model in building an integrated national cybersecurity system, and this is embodied in the efforts of the National Center for Cybersecurity. Which adopted a strategic vision based on developing policies, strengthening the digital infrastructure, and qualifying national cadres, in addition to permanent awareness programs that establish community awareness of cyber risks.
In this context, the Center’s recent hosting of the third edition of the Arab International Cybersecurity Conference and Exhibition (AICS 2025) represented a turning point in the Kingdom’s digital journey. The conference was held under the generous patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and Prime Minister, may God protect him. This event represented a qualitative leap, as it witnessed cooperation with the DEF CON global conference, in its first appearance in the Middle East region, through the activities of “DEF CON Villages” specializing in artificial intelligence and space and cloud security. The conference also attracted an elite group of international experts and representatives of major technology companies and academic institutions. This reflects the growing international position that Bahrain occupies in the field of cybersecurity.
His Highness Lieutenant General Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, National Security Advisor, Commander of the Royal Guard and Secretary-General of the Supreme Defense Council, confirmed in his opening speech at the conference that digital transformation is no longer a luxury option; Rather, it has become a strategic necessity to ensure the future. His Highness pointed out the necessity of redefining security in light of the successive developments of artificial intelligence and the growing cyber threats to infrastructure and supply chains, calling for building a deep societal awareness of these issues, and directing generations to the technology industry, not just consumption.
In conclusion, what the Kingdom of Bahrain is doing in this context is not merely a response to the challenges of reality; Rather, it is a forward-looking vision and an investment in sustainable digital sovereign security. Cybersecurity, in the era of digital globalization, has become a decisive factor in securing sovereignty, an essential tributary to national development, and an axis in which it is supposed to be invested in an integrated approach that combines local visions and international partnerships.
