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UAE Counters 200,000 Daily Cyberattacks from 14 Countries

UAE Counters 200,000 Daily Cyberattacks from 14 Countries
  • PublishedJanuary 23, 2025

The UAE Cyber Security Council, as reported by WAM Agency, has disclosed that cyberattacks targeting strategic sectors in the country exceed 200,000 daily. These threats originate from cyberterrorist groups operating in 14 countries. Authorities have tracked and identified these groups, countering their activities with advanced global methods to protect national security.

The Council noted that government entities were the primary targets, accounting for 30% of attacks, followed by the financial and banking sector (7%), education sector (7%), and technology, aviation, and hospital sectors (4% each). The remaining 44% affected other strategic industries.

Cyberattacks primarily targeted IT and infrastructure systems, representing 40% of incidents. File-sharing breaches accounted for 9%, while 3% involved database vulnerabilities. Notably, persistent threat groups such as “Blackcat” were responsible for 51% of ransomware incidents.

National cybersecurity systems identified key vulnerabilities, with incorrect configurations causing 27% of attacks. Malware accounted for 22%, while scanning and login attempts, unauthorised access, and phishing ranged from 10% to 15%. Emerging threats also included illegal activities and web-based attacks.

The Council highlighted hacking methods such as service denial attacks targeting endpoints (39%), encryption and data leaks (37%), and application breaches (24%). Ransomware attacks made up 7%, with other methods accounting for 11%. Advanced attacks using artificial intelligence (AI) were also detected, demonstrating the evolving nature of cyber threats.

AI-driven cyberattacks pose growing challenges, particularly through enhanced malware and social engineering techniques. The Council warns of an expected rise in AI-enabled threats in the coming year, which will require sophisticated detection methods.

The Council urged public and private entities to strictly adhere to cybersecurity standards to mitigate risks and safeguard digital infrastructure against increasingly sophisticated attacks.

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