More than 71 million attempted cyber attacks in the UAE have been blocked in the first three quarters of the year, the head of the country's Cybersecurity Council said.
Despite authorities successfully fending off the attacks, Dr Mohammed Al Kuwaiti called on organisations to remain vigilant against hackers.
He urged the public and the private sector to take precautions to protect their systems, phones and data from being hacked.
The National also spoke to cyber security experts who laid out the steps required to keep data safe from criminals.
“The UAE deterred more than 71 million cyber attacks in the first three quarters of 2023,” Dr Al Kuwaiti said.
“The cyber security system is important as it is the first front line for organisations and entities. Amid the major development in the digital era, the council is playing a key role in foiling cyber attacks."
The Cybersecurity Council was established by in 2020 as cyber threats and attacks surged around the globe.
The council is responsible for legislation to strengthen cyber security, subject to UAE Cabinet approval.
Dr Al Kuwaiti said in May that the country was fending off more than 50,000 cyber attacks a day.
He said in March that ransomware attacks in the UAE declined by more than 70 per cent at the start of 2023, compared with the same period during 2022.
About two in three businesses (64 per cent) in the country was the victim of a ransomware attack last year, according to a report from cyber security firm Proofpoint.
Rising number of attacks
Nicolai Solling, chief technology officer at tech firm Help AG, told The National that cyber attacks were on the rise globally.
He said every sector was a target for cyber security attacks.
“We work with organisations from various sectors, and we deal with 50 potential incidents every day, generating two trillion data points per year,” he said.
The cyber security expert said the threats were evolving and becoming more sophisticated all the time.
Ransomware continues to be a major issue when it came to cyber security, he added.
“When we look into what is impacting the average user, we find that scams and fraud are among the top threats," Mr Solling said.
"In the modern day, these threats take an electronic form because that is how we live our lives.”
How a company or a person responds to a cyber attack could determine its effect, Mr Solling said.
“The difference between surviving a cyber attack and collapsing under its weight is in how the organisation reacts to it. It is vital to have a detailed response plan in place," he said.
"Think of it like having a spare tyre in your car. You don't plan to get a puncture, but you need a backup in case it happens."
Severe penalties in place
Emirati lawyer Mohammad Al Najjar told The National that the UAE has strict laws and legislation against cyber security crimes.
“There are popular crimes such as e-fraud, hacking and digital piracy. There are difficulties in catching the cyber crimes suspects as they are working from outside the UAE,” Mr Al Najjar said.
“The person committing the cyber crime might be outside the country hacking the systems. It requires collaboration between the countries regarding the laws and extradition of suspects through Interpol.”
Mr Al Najjar said offenders faced stiff penalties when they were caught.
“Anyone who causes damage or halts a website will be jailed for six months and fined between Dh150,000 and Dh500,000 [$40,844 to $136,147],” he added.
For hacking a government website, the penalty is a seven-year jail sentence and a fine of between Dh250,000 and Dh1.5 million.
How to stay safe from cyber attacks
Mr Solling has compiled several tips to help the public reduce the threat from hackers.
- Install software updates, do not use your work devices for personal use and, vice versa, ensure your device is secured before using public Wi-Fi networks
- Turn on multifactor authentication on all platforms
- Never reuse a password. This way, if a cyber attacker is able to crack one of your passwords, the damage is limited to a single account, instead of compromising your whole digital identity
- If you find yourself being pushed to take urgent action – “if you don’t click this link, your bank account will be blocked” – pause and think about how you should react
- You can always call your bank from a verified number to confirm any communication is legitimate
- Remember that in general, companies will not ask you to share confidential information, including passwords, OTP codes, account details, or credit card information over channels such as phone, email and messaging services
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1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
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Defending champions
World Series: South Africa
Women’s World Series: Australia
Gulf Men’s League: Dubai Exiles
Gulf Men’s Social: Mediclinic Barrelhouse Warriors
Gulf Vets: Jebel Ali Dragons Veterans
Gulf Women: Dubai Sports City Eagles
Gulf Under 19: British School Al Khubairat
Gulf Under 19 Girls: Dubai Exiles
UAE National Schools: Al Safa School
International Invitational: Speranza 22
International Vets: Joining Jack
TUESDAY'S ORDER OF PLAY
Centre Court
Starting at 2pm:
Elina Svitolina (UKR) [3] v Jennifer Brady (USA)
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) v Belinda Bencic (SUI [4]
Not before 7pm:
Sofia Kenin (USA) [5] v Elena Rybakina (KAZ)
Maria Sakkari (GRE) v Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) [7]
Court One
Starting at midday:
Karolina Muchova (CZE) v Katerina Siniakova (CZE)
Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) v Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR)
Veronika Kudermetova (RUS) v Dayana Yastermska (UKR)
Petra Martic (CRO) [8] v Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE)
Sorana Cirstea (ROU) v Anett Kontaveit (EST)
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The biog
Age: 59
From: Giza Governorate, Egypt
Family: A daughter, two sons and wife
Favourite tree: Ghaf
Runner up favourite tree: Frankincense
Favourite place on Sir Bani Yas Island: “I love all of Sir Bani Yas. Every spot of Sir Bani Yas, I love it.”
Virtual banks explained
What is a virtual bank?
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority defines it as a bank that delivers services through the internet or other electronic channels instead of physical branches. That means not only facilitating payments but accepting deposits and making loans, just like traditional ones. Other terms used interchangeably include digital or digital-only banks or neobanks. By contrast, so-called digital wallets or e-wallets such as Apple Pay, PayPal or Google Pay usually serve as intermediaries between a consumer’s traditional account or credit card and a merchant, usually via a smartphone or computer.
What’s the draw in Asia?
Hundreds of millions of people under-served by traditional institutions, for one thing. In China, India and elsewhere, digital wallets such as Alipay, WeChat Pay and Paytm have already become ubiquitous, offering millions of people an easy way to store and spend their money via mobile phone. Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines are also among the world’s biggest under-banked countries; together they have almost half a billion people.
Is Hong Kong short of banks?
No, but the city is among the most cash-reliant major economies, leaving room for newcomers to disrupt the entrenched industry. Ant Financial, an Alibaba Group Holding affiliate that runs Alipay and MYBank, and Tencent Holdings, the company behind WeBank and WeChat Pay, are among the owners of the eight ventures licensed to create virtual banks in Hong Kong, with operations expected to start as early as the end of the year.
Manchester City 4
Otamendi (52) Sterling (59) Stones (67) Brahim Diaz (81)
Real Madrid 1
Oscar (90)
The biog
Name: Samar Frost
Born: Abu Dhabi
Hobbies: Singing, music and socialising with friends
Favourite singer: Adele
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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8pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 (T); 1,400m
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Uefa Nations League: How it works
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Cricket World Cup League Two
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Fixtures
Wednesday January 8 –Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 – Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 – UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
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The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
