The Cyber Security Council announced this weekend that the UAE has thwarted a series of cyberattacks on critical infrastructure.
Authorities said it was a “coordinated cyberattack of a terrorist nature” but gave few other details, including the exact targets.
The attacks “included attempts to infiltrate networks, deploy ransomware, and conduct coordinated phishing campaigns targeting nation-state platforms.”
This included “the use of artificial intelligence techniques to develop advanced attack tools that reflect qualitative changes in the methods employed by terrorist groups and their ability to utilize modern technology.”
The statement came days after Council President Dr. Mohammed Al Kuwait said that between 90,000 and 200,000 violations occur “every day” mainly in the UAE, many of which are “state-sponsored.”
He said the state is investing in extensive defense systems to protect public and private infrastructure.
Dr Al Kuwait said last week: “Regional geopolitical tensions across North Africa, the Gulf and the broader Middle East information space have intensified online discourse targeting the UAE.”
“Conflict-driven discourse, diplomatic tensions, and AI-powered disinformation campaigns are increasing rumor propagation and hacktivist mobilization across the region’s digital ecosystem.”
Without specifying the country, Wham reported that around 66.7% of state-backed actors come from Asia, 14.3% from Europe, and the rest come from the Middle East or other regions.
Western countries have long cited Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran as the “Big Four” for state-sponsored cyberattacks, but deny this.
