
By Sama Marwan,
The UAE Cybersecurity Council revealed that over 200,000 daily cyberattacks target the country’s strategic sectors. These attacks originate from cyber-terrorist groups operating in 14 countries, with their identities and launch locations precisely identified and countered using state-of-the-art global methods.
According to a statement reported by the Emirates News Agency on Monday, the attacks primarily targeted:
- Government sector: 30%
- Financial and banking sector: 7%
- Education sector: 7%
- Technology sector: 4%
- Aviation and healthcare sectors: 8% (shared equally)
- Other sectors: 44%
Types of Attacks
- IT and infrastructure attacks: 40%
- File-sharing attacks: 9%
- Database vulnerability exploitation: 3%
The ransomware group “Blackcat” was identified as responsible for 51% of ransomware attacks.
Common Attack Methods
National cybersecurity systems identified recurring attack patterns, with the following distribution:
- Misconfigurations: 27%
- Malware: 22%
- Scanning and login attempts: 15%
- Unauthorized access: 15%
- Phishing: 10%
- Web attacks and illicit activities: 11%
Notable Threats and Mitigation
The council detailed major threats and defensive measures:
- DDoS attacks on endpoints: 39%
- Data encryption and leakage: 37%
- Web application breaches: 24%
- Ransomware attacks: 7%
The council emphasized the increasing sophistication of recent attacks, some of which are supported by AI-based technologies, making them harder to detect. AI is being leveraged not only for deepfake and social engineering but also to enhance malware, including ransomware.
Outlook and Recommendations
The council expects cyberattacks to persist throughout the year, with more advanced AI-driven threats targeting digital infrastructure. It stressed the need for all government and private entities to comply with cybersecurity standards to mitigate risks from both traditional attacks, such as phishing and social engineering, and emerging AI-enhanced cyber threats.