{
  "id": 2992368,
  "title": "The UAE is fighting AI hackers with AI of its own",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/the-uae-is-fighting-ai-hackers-with-ai-of-its-own",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-24T10:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Rest of World Tech",
    "slug": "rest-of-world-tech",
    "url": "https://restofworld.org/2026/uae-ai-cyberattacks-cyber-factory-defenses/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In February, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) faced coordinated cyberattacks on aviation, energy, and education sectors amid fighting between Iran, Israel, and the U.S. The nation's Cyber Security Council reported that hackers had made about 800,000 attempts daily, four times the level before the war began. The UAE has successfully detected and contained these attacks since February, according to the council. Iranian hackers have utilized AI at every stage during the war, from selecting targets to writing malicious code and creating fake messages that entice people to click. The speed at which AI enables these attacks is significantly faster than previous methods, with a weakness now being exploited within hours instead of days, according to security firms in the Gulf. The attacks have originated from around 20 countries and over 40 organizations, including those with ties to Iran. The UAE has been proactive in addressing these threats, putting government services and banking online and operating its power grid on computer networks. The Cyber Security Council announced each incident and detailed the methods used against it, such as ransomware aimed at government platforms, phishing runs at banks, and attempts to breach street cameras. AI-assisted scams, password theft, and fake company websites have also risen in the Gulf since February. The UAE has set up a \"Cyber Factory\" initiative, led by the council and CPX Holding, to design and build AI security systems, aiming for faster, more precise responses and to ensure the UAE has end-to-end control over its defenses.",
  "summary": "Attacks on the country’s banks, aviation, and energy systems have climbed since the war with Iran began. Its answer is a homegrown AI security industry.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}