Up to 50,000 cyberattacks are prevented daily by UAE

The UAE's cyber security chief, Mohammed Hamad Al Kuwaiti, revealed that the country is successfully deterring up to 50,000 cyber attacks per day, thanks to the cooperation of the UAE Cyber Security Council and its partners.

Al Kuwaiti stated that the banking, financial, health, oil, and gas sectors are the most targeted, but all attacks are proactively and efficiently countered to protect the country's digital sphere.

He emphasized that the UAE's advanced digital infrastructure and capabilities allow it to effectively combat malicious cyberattacks targeting government authorities.

The UAE is ranked fifth globally in the Global Cybersecurity Index of the International Telecommunication Union of the United Nations, demonstrating the country's strong commitment to cybersecurity.

Durov's Code shares Kaspersky's exclusive commentary on UAE cybersecurity.

How many attacks does Kaspersky detect in the UAE?

We have received around 44Million threat notification from UAE in 2022 on the Kaspersky Security Network From these threat notifications, around 13Million were malware attacks Of these malware attacks, around 1.3 Million were Backdoors and Spyware

Which companies are most often attacked?

There are several methods to look at which companies get targeted most, sometimes it's due to their large size, valuable data, and access to critical infrastructure. Some of the industries that are more targeted are:

— Financial institutions: Banks, investment firms, and other financial institutions are often targeted due to the large amounts of valuable financial and personal data they handle.

— Healthcare organizations: Hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare organizations are often targeted due to the sensitive patient data they possess, including medical records and personally identifiable information.

— Government agencies: Government agencies and institutions often have sensitive data related to national security.

— Retail and e-commerce companies: These companies are often targeted due to the large amounts of personal customer data they handle, including credit card information.

— Energy and utility companies: These companies are often targeted due to their critical infrastructure, which if compromised, could cause widespread disruption and damage.

It's important to note that cyber attacks can occur in any industry and against any company or organization, regardless of their size or sector.

How well local companies are  protected from cyberattacks?

The level of protection that local companies in UAE have from cyber attacks vary widely, depending on their size and industry, however, there's no one-size-fit-all list of problems or solutions that can deliver 100% Protection. It is up to each organization to assess risks and take appropriate measures to safeguard data and systems, usually relying on the major concepts of zero trust and multi-layered defenses.

It's also worth noting that many companies may not consider themselves to be high-value targets for cybercriminals, and therefore may not prioritize cybersecurity as much as they should, any company that handles sensitive data or relies on technology to conduct its operations is at risk of cyber attacks.

Answers provided by Amin Hasbini, Head of Global Research and Analysis Team for META at Kaspersky.