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UAE Strengthens Fight Against Cyber Attacks: US Firm

DUBAI — Malicious internet activity grew worldwide at a record pace last year, but the security level of computer networks in the UAE improved slightly last year, an internet security company said on Wednesday.

There were fewer successful attacks on computers in the UAE in 2008, than in the previous year, and the country’s ranking improved from 38^th in the world to 40^th, in terms of the quality of its defences against attackers. Saudi Arabia ranked first among GCC countries for its protection against online attacks, with the UAE placing second in the Gulf, according to the Symantec Internet Security Threat Report.

Symantec, based in the US, provides security and storage for computer users. Its annual report rated 224 countries and jurisdictions for 
Internet security.

The UAE experienced more spam and phishing attacks than any other Gulf nation, followed closely by Qatar and Saudi Arabia, 
the report said.

“Cybercriminals are profiting from creating and distributing customised threats that steal confidential information, particularly bank account credentials and credit card data. While the above ground economy suffers, the underground economy has remained consistently steady,” said Johnny Karam, Regional Director for Symantec in the Middle East and North Africa, while speaking at a 
news conference. Malicious code is a new breed of internet threat that cannot be efficiently controlled by conventional antivirus softwares alone. Symantec said that it created more than 1.6 million so-called malicious code “signatures” last year to defend against attacks involving malicious codes. — abdulbasit@khaleejtimes.com