Last week in Florida, a computer hacker broke into the water system of the city of Oldsmar and tried to poison the supply by pumping in a dangerous amount of the chemical sodium hydroxide in to the water. US authorities are investigating the hack and even though it was averted and no damage done, it is an example of hackers’ growing powers to threaten governments and corporations around the world.
Since the invention of the internet 30 years ago, the rate of digitalisation has become so rapid, and the volume of connected devices so huge, that network security needs to be urgently ramped up to an equal scale so that they are effectively defended against such threats.
The US, once pre-eminent in cybersecurity, has now, under President Joe Biden, made it a priority to restore its global hegemony. Mr Biden has committed $10 billion towards strengthening America’s cyber security capabilities and appointed key people in those roles. Some observers say that his administration is the most cyber-savvy in history.
That Mr Biden is giving the matter such priority is of little surprise, according to Will Dixon, the cybersecurity lead at the World Economic Forum. Last year’s SolarWinds breach, which Mr Dixon says is “arguably the worst cyberattack in US history, given its scale” has recently underscored the risks in a stark manner.
More systemically, however, cybersecurity was the fourth biggest risk facing global policymakers and business leaders, as per a recent Forum report. In the last decade, it has consistently ranked as one of the most important strategic issues, Mr Dixon says.
At Idex, the defence exhibition and conference being held in Abu Dhabi later this month, cybersecurity will be prominent on the agenda.
Hackers are perhaps the modern equivalent of the bank robbers of Depression-era America
In this region, governments and institutions are working hard to ensure readiness in the face of cyber risks. Last month, for example, the Central Bank of the UAE and the UAE Banks Federation conducted a cyber war gaming drill, which showed that the sector’s ability to defend attacks had significantly increased in the last five years.
Hackers are perhaps the modern equivalent of the bank robbers of Depression-era America. In the 1930s, as they looted one town after another, those robbers used the advent of the motor car and a growing network of highways to stay one step ahead of the authorities. Eventually, of course, law enforcement adapted and caught them. This time around we should expect the same, as defence capabilities and tools evolve to get ahead of hackers.
Globally, however, there remain challenges that might slow the response: regulation and strategies that diverge from region to region, the rising costs of cybersecurity, and concerns about robustness of the software, hardware and IT services companies that supply the industry, Mr Dixon says.
A catch-22 situation that we're in is another issue affecting how long it might take to nullify the threat of the hacker
“The world is still, even now, at the beginning of its global cybersecurity journey, while progress has been made in improving cybersecurity across the ecosystem, the increased complexity, pace, scale and interdependence of the global economy on new transformative technologies, presents an ever-changing landscape. These technologies relate to AI, 5G, Quantum computing and digital identity, which will overwhelm many current defences,” he says.
A catch-22 situation that we’re in is another issue affecting how long it might take to nullify the threat of the hacker. We must develop increasingly sophisticated digital tools to counter an enemy that is evolving equally rapidly. That trend feeds on itself. For example, the need to have offensive capabilities in the battlefield proliferates digital tools and strategies.
British security services jammed ISIS drones as part of a major covert cyber operation against the terrorist group, Jeremy Fleming the UK’s surveillance chief told Sky News this week. How long before ISIS works out how to jam British drones in a similar manner, now that they have seen how effective a strategy it can be?
In the digital arena, weapons that give you an edge today could be the same ones used against you by an enemy hacker in the future.
The cyber-arms race goes on, with both sides upping the ante until the level of defence reaches a point where it becomes too time-consuming and expensive for a hacker to even attempt an attack
Maintaining an advantage in cybersecurity – whether by a government or a corporation – requires a continuous evolution and improvement in capabilities. And so, the cyber-arms race goes on, with both sides upping the ante until the level of defence reaches a point where it becomes too time-consuming and expensive for a hacker to even attempt an attack. Much like how the bank robbers of 1930s America were put out of business. This point can be reached in reality, and the blockchain technology behind Bitcoin, for example, which utilises decentralisation and full transparency to create an impossible to hack system, proves this to be the case.
Until then, and because we are ever deepening our reliance on technology, we cannot switch off. We cannot lower our cyber defences even for a second. The hacker, meanwhile, can pick and choose when and where to strike.
Mustafa Alrawi is an assistant editor-in-chief at The National
The specs
Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder
Transmission: 7-speed auto
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'The Lost Daughter'
Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Starring: Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Dakota Johnson
Rating: 4/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
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Liverpool 3
Sadio Man 28'
Andrew Robertson 34'
Diogo Jota 88'
Arsenal 1
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Man of the match
Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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New process leads to panic among jobseekers
As a UAE-based travel agent who processes tourist visas from the Philippines, Jennifer Pacia Gado is fielding a lot of calls from concerned travellers just now. And they are all asking the same question.
“My clients are mostly Filipinos, and they [all want to know] about good conduct certificates,” says the 34-year-old Filipina, who has lived in the UAE for five years.
Ms Gado contacted the Philippines Embassy to get more information on the certificate so she can share it with her clients. She says many are worried about the process and associated costs – which could be as high as Dh500 to obtain and attest a good conduct certificate from the Philippines for jobseekers already living in the UAE.
“They are worried about this because when they arrive here without the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] clearance, it is a hassle because it takes time,” she says.
“They need to go first to the embassy to apply for the application of the NBI clearance. After that they have go to the police station [in the UAE] for the fingerprints. And then they will apply for the special power of attorney so that someone can finish the process in the Philippines. So it is a long process and more expensive if you are doing it from here.”
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Company Profile
Company name: Big Farm Brothers
Started: September 2020
Founders: Vishal Mahajan and Navneet Kaur
Based: Dubai Investment Park 1
Industry: food and agriculture
Initial investment: $205,000
Current staff: eight to 10
Future plan: to expand to other GCC markets
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The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8
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Transmission: seven-speed automatic
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UAE SQUAD
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Mohamed Usman (vice captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Imran Haider, Tahir Mughal, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed, Fahad Nawaz, Abdul Shakoor, Sultan Ahmed, CP Rizwan
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The National photo project
Chris Whiteoak, a photographer at The National, spent months taking some of Jacqui Allan's props around the UAE, positioning them perfectly in front of some of the country's most recognisable landmarks. He placed a pirate on Kite Beach, in front of the Burj Al Arab, the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland at the Burj Khalifa, and brought one of Allan's snails (Freddie, which represents her grandfather) to the Dubai Frame. In Abu Dhabi, a dinosaur went to Al Ain's Jebel Hafeet. And a flamingo was taken all the way to the Hatta Mountains. This special project suitably brings to life the quirky nature of Allan's prop shop (and Allan herself!).
The biog
Favourite Quote: “Real victories are those that protect human life, not those that result from its destruction emerge from its ashes,” by The late king Hussain of Jordan.
Favourite Hobby: Writing and cooking
Favourite Book: The Prophet by Gibran Khalil Gibran
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