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Cyber threats on the rise in UAE: Third in global rankings for cyberattacks, says top official

Ransomware attacks are rising globally, and the government has taken proactive measures with the assistance of partner organisations

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by

Waheed Abbas

Published: Wed 30 Oct 2024, 2:24 PM

Last updated: Wed 30 Oct 2024, 8:21 PM

The UAE ranks third globally in combating cyberattacks and battling cyber threats, a top official has said. The attacks have increased in frequency and volume due to geopolitical tension, according to Dr Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, head of cybersecurity of the UAE Government.

"The UAE has been under cyberattack for a long time, and recently, because of the geopolitical aspects, the number of attacks, be it in the frequency, quality and volume, really increased dramatically. As a matter of fact, whoever follows many of those attacks, the UAE is the third nation worldwide under attack. With all the great efforts of everybody, all those attacks have been detected and deterred,” Al Kuwaiti said during the FutureSec Summit 2024 organised by Khaleej Times.

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He elaborated that many of these attacks have been investigated thoroughly, tracing back to the individuals responsible, with the assistance of partner organisations.

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“We have been able to build a great and resilient infrastructure for those small, medium and even large businesses as well as the government entities. We don’t know what lies ahead of us because there are so many things, but all we know is that we need to be prepared for cyberattacks.”

Dr Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, head of cybersecurity, UAE Government. KT photo: Muhammad Sajjad

As reported by Khaleej Times earlier, the UAE faced 200,000 cyberattacks in a week and they all were successfully detected and defeated – due to stringent measures put in place by the UAE against cyber threats along with its partners within and outside the country.

The UAE has been recently ranked first in the United Nations’ Global Cybersecurity Index, reflecting great efforts from of government, private, academia, and all other ecosystem players.

Ransomware is a big threat

Dr Mohamed Al Kuwaiti pointed out that ransomware attacks are rising globally, rising 32 per cent, and the government has taken proactive measures to deal with them.

"Last week, we carried the National Cyber Drill to ensure everybody has a communication channel and is trained. In addition, we carry out, on a monthly basis, a sectarian type of cyber drills that help and ensure the readiness as well as compliances are adhered to," he said at the FutureSec Summit 2024.

The UAE Cybersecurity Council chief elaborated that the government is working on new laws and regulations, which will be introduced in the coming months.

He added that everyone in the country will be required to upgrade their systems to post-quantum crypto, especially in the financial sector, government entities and many of the critical infrastructure firms.

"The UAE is implementing its leadership’s vision in practical aspects. We're not only putting those plans but executing those plans and ensuring that everybody is safe and secure in this perspective."

"We always encourage you to be vigilant and proactive in dealing with cyber threats. It is very important to report cyber incidents to us in order to be proactive and deter them. This is very important for us to eliminate many of those attacks in the UAE."

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Waheed Abbas

Published: Wed 30 Oct 2024, 2:24 PM

Last updated: Wed 30 Oct 2024, 8:21 PM

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