Saudi Aramco has had an increase in cyber-attack attempts since the last three months of 2019, which the company has successfully foiled, a chief security officer at the oil giant said on Thursday.
"Overall there is definitely an increase in the attempts of attacks and we are very successful in preventing these attacks at the earliest stage possible," Khalid Al Harbi told Reuters.
"The pattern of the attacks is cyclical and we are seeing that the magnitude is increasing. I would suspect that this will continue to be a trend."
Saudi Arabia has been the target of frequent cyber attacks, including the "Shamoon" virus, which cripples computers by wiping their disks.
It has hit government ministries and petrochemical companies, with the latest attack being in 2017.
Aramco, which pumps 10 per cent of global oil supply, experienced its largest cyber attack in August 2012, when the Shamoon virus damaged about 30,000 computers.
It was aimed at stopping oil and gas production at the biggest Opec exporter.
Aramco's facilities were also attacked in September by drone and missile strikes that temporarily shut down 5.7 million barrels a day of output, or more than 5 per cent of global oil supply.
The US blamed Iran for the attack, which Tehran denies.
Mr Harbi said there had also been attempts to infiltrate Aramco through Emotet, malware used globally, but it was successfully prevented.
The malware has affected other small organisations in Saudi Arabia, he said.
Mr Harbi said that identifying the source of the cyber attacks was the most difficult aspect of cyber security.
In 2017, Saudi Arabian security officials said that the country was one of the targets in a wide-ranging cyber spying campaign against five Middle East nations and countries outside the region.
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Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
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Where to donate in the UAE
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
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