UAE Counters 200,000 Daily Cyberattacks From Terror Groups

UAE Cyber Security Council on Monday reported that over 200,000 cyberattacks are targeting the country's key sectors every day. These attacks come from cyberterrorist groups in 14 countries.

The groups have been tracked, and identified, and their attack locations precisely pinpointed. Using advanced global methods, these attacks have been effectively countered. According to the Council, the government sector faced the highest number of attacks, accounting for 30% of the total.

The financial and banking sectors and the education sector each faced 7% of the attacks. Meanwhile, the technology, aviation, and hospital sectors were targeted at 4% each. The remaining 44% of the attacks were spread across other sectors, WAM reported.

The council identified the most dangerous hacking methods targeting the country's key sectors, which were efficiently countered.

These included service denial attacks targeting endpoint devices, which accounted for 39% of the total cyberterrorist attacks, followed by encryption and data leakage attacks at 37%, internet-connected application breaches at 24%, ransomware attacks at 7%, and other methods at 11%.

The council previously announced that ransomware attacks were countered across several key public and private sectors. These attacks aimed to leak data and lock digital systems.

It also detected recent, sophisticated breach attempts that used artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. These AI-powered attacks pose significant challenges to digital infrastructure. The Council noted a continuous increase in cyber threats involving AI, not only in deepfake or social engineering but also in enhancing malware, including ransomware programs.

The UAE Cyber Security Council also revealed that cyberterrorist attacks targeted various areas, with 40% aimed at information technology and infrastructure. File-sharing attacks made up 9%, while database vulnerabilities accounted for 3%.

Among ransomware attacks, 51% were linked to a group known as "Blackcat." The Council also noted recurring types of cyberattacks identified by national cybersecurity systems. Incorrect configurations were the cause of 27% of attacks, followed by malware at 22%.

Scanning and login attempts and unauthorized access each accounted for 15% while phishing made up 10%. Illegal activities and web attacks contributed to 11% of the total.

The government body expects that cyberattacks will continue this year, as more organizations adopt advanced technologies. These attacks will include traditional ones, like phishing and social engineering, as well as newer, more complex attacks using AI, which are harder to detect without advanced methods.

The council stressed the importance for both government and private organizations to follow cybersecurity standards to protect themselves from these harmful cyberattacks.