UAE companies urged to remain vigilant on cyber attacks

UAE cybersecurity authorities are urging organisations to remain vigilant as cyberattacks continue to rise amid the US-Iran conflict. In the past week alone, the country faced an alarming 640,000 cyber attacks, a figure that marks a significant increase from previous levels. Jans D’Hert, a cybersecurity expert, emphasized the importance of learning from past incidents and avoiding basic mistakes rather than simply recovering from attacks.

D’Hert highlighted that maintaining compliance does not guarantee security, as attacks have surged during the ongoing conflict. The rise in cyberattacks is attributed to broader regional activity, with Iran being one of the primary perpetrators, as stated by Dr Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, head of the UAE Cyber Security Council. The recent number of cyberattacks is still higher than before the conflict escalated, though it has slightly decreased from its peak of nearly 800,000 attacks recorded in April.

While the UAE experienced attacks on various critical sectors such as energy, oil and gas, electricity, water, government systems, and financial services, proactive detection and containment measures have been implemented. Experts also highlighted the growing role of cyberattacks during geopolitical conflicts, with critical infrastructure being an attractive target due to the potential far-reaching consequences.

The UAE Cyber Security Council has detected and contained organized attacks on aviation, energy, and education systems in August. The increasing use of AI by attackers is accelerating techniques that were previously manual, enabling larger-scale attacks. AI is also strengthening defensive measures, with Dubai Electronic Security Centre deploying AI-powered tools to enhance incident response and identify deepfake videos.

Awareness remains the first line of defense against cyber threats, as more than 85% of threats begin with an incorrect or unintended click by an ordinary user.