Greater transparency over cyber attacks should be encouraged to boost understanding of the growing security threat, an expert has said.
The number of ransomware attacks surged by 151 per cent worldwide in the first half of 2021, a World Economic Forum report said, highlighting the need for action.
Gems Education, the largest private school operator in the UAE, was targeted by cyber criminals last week. The group says an investigation is continuing.
It confirmed its payment systems were not compromised.
If you ask any organisation today what is their biggest concern is, ransomware would be one of them
Nicolai Solling,
Help AG, cybersecurity arm of Etisalat
Transparency is key
Nicolai Solling, chief technology officer at Help AG, the cybersecurity arm of e& enterprise (formerly Etisalat Digital), said many companies try to avoid making cyber attacks public.
“Multiple times every single day, we know that organisations in the UAE, in the Middle East and all over the world are being impacted by ransomware.
“But, it's only once in a blue moon that information is released around these issues. People see it as a potentially embarrassing situation to be in. Actually being open about these things is something that would help a lot in order to gain knowledge and also in understanding how big the problem is."
The dangers facing educational institutions are not too different from other organisations, Mr Solling said.
One of them is the availability of IT services within schools, the educational sector and institutions, which can be affected by ransomware, a type of malware designed to deny a user or a company access to files stored on a computer.
"If you ask any organisation today what is their biggest concern is, ransomware would be one of them," he said.
Companies are 'custodians of data'
He said people needed to ensure they were comfortable that the organisation for which they work was able to secure their data safely.
Organisations need to be "painfully aware of the data that they're storing" as they are the custodians of such information, he said.
"Depending on which data you're the custodian of, you need to make sure that your security measures are done accordingly. There's a very big difference in storing information about a service of a car, compared to storing data about a student," he said.
"Performing assessments of your infrastructure and applications is something that should be part of any organisation's strategy when understanding and dealing with cyber security incidents."
He said data security measures had improved in recent years.
"If you look at pretty much every single organisation that is taking credit card payments, they would not be actually the ones storing or processing the payment. They would rely on third party organisations for doing that," he said.
He said some companies still ask for copies of a credit card, or credit card numbers, a practice he believes should stop.
Algirde Pipikaite, who leads the World Economic Forum's cyber security strategy, laid bare the stark dangers of cyber crime in an interview with The National in January.
"Ransomware attacks disrupt our critical services around the globe – from stopping operations in meat production to manufacturing and threatening energy supplies to citizens ... 80 per cent of the forum’s Cyber Security Leadership Community members stressed that ransomware is becoming a danger and threat to public safety," she said.
She said more assistance should be provided to small and midsized enterprises (SMEs) to help them combat the threat.
"We need to provide solutions for the SMEs to better protect themselves against current and future cyber threats and shift the burden to the makers of technology rather than the users," she said.
"That means that we need to integrate security features like security-by-design and security-by-default when developing new technology."
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Favourite team: Bayern Munich
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Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
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26 UAE teams
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, Group B
Barcelona v Inter Milan
Camp Nou, Barcelona
Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
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The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
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RESULT
Huddersfield Town 1 Manchester City 2
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Man City: Agüero (47' pen), Sterling (84')
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What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine
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Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km
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Fight card
1. Bantamweight: Victor Nunes (BRA) v Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK)
2. Featherweight: Hussein Salim (IRQ) v Shakhriyor Juraev (UZB)
3. Catchweight 80kg: Rashed Dawood (UAE) v Khamza Yamadaev (RUS)
4. Lightweight: Ho Taek-oh (KOR) v Ronald Girones (CUB)
5. Lightweight: Arthur Zaynukov (RUS) v Damien Lapilus (FRA)
6. Bantamweight: Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) v Furkatbek Yokubov (RUS)
7. Featherweight: Movlid Khaybulaev (RUS) v Zaka Fatullazade (AZE)
8. Flyweight: Shannon Ross (TUR) v Donovon Freelow (USA)
9. Lightweight: Mohammad Yahya (UAE) v Dan Collins (GBR)
10. Catchweight 73kg: Islam Mamedov (RUS) v Martun Mezhulmyan (ARM)
11. Bantamweight World title: Jaures Dea (CAM) v Xavier Alaoui (MAR)
12. Flyweight World title: Manon Fiorot (FRA) v Gabriela Campo (ARG)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
