Image used for illustrative purposes. Photo: File

A senior official revealed on Wednesday that the region has lost $1 billion due to ransomware attacks, with the threat becoming increasingly widespread. Lt. Col. Saeed AlShebli, Deputy Director of the Digital Security Department at the UAE Ministry of Interior, noted that the world is now witnessing more sophisticated and advanced AI-assisted cyberattacks.

"The UAE, being part of a complex geopolitical region, faces challenges inherited from the area. The UAE is on the verge of becoming an AI nation, which brings its own set of challenges. Advanced persistent threats (APTs) are among the top challenges we face in both public and private sectors," he said during a panel discussion at the FutureSec Summit 2024 organized by Khaleej Times.

The one-day summit saw the participation of numerous senior government and private sector officials. AlShebli highlighted that both state and non-state actors are launching sophisticated and advanced attacks, particularly AI-assisted ones targeting public and private sectors. Recent statistics indicate that nearly 40% of these attacks targeted UAE infrastructure or were linked to it, though all were successfully thwarted. The second major challenge is the widespread use of malware, especially ransomware, which cost the region almost $1 billion last year and is expected to grow.

AlShebli further explained that individuals and workers in public and private sectors are increasingly targeted by highly sophisticated phishing and social engineering attacks. These attacks have grown in number, quality, and scale over time.

(From left): Lt. Col. Saeed AlShebli, Deputy Director of Digital Security Department, Ministry of Interior UAE; Amit Mehta, CISO & Cybersecurity Advisory Board Member, Mastercard; Sona Saha Das, Lead Data Strategy Governance & Analytics, Ceer Motors; Dr. Ebrahim Al Alkeem, Director of Cyber Security & AI, Abu Dhabi Government; Ali Katkhada, Group CIO, Depa Group; and Moderator Dr. Sana Amairi Pyka, Lead Scientist at Technology Innovation Institute, during the panel discussion on 'The Governance Code: Navigating Compliance in a Digital Age' at the FutureSec Summit 2024 in Dubai on Wednesday. KT photo: Muhammad Sajjad

Dr. Ebrahim Al Alkeem, Director for Cybersecurity and AI at the Abu Dhabi Government, stated that the UAE, as a financial hub, supports other countries in combating crime that reaches the UAE through third parties. "The main challenge is dealing with different countries, systems, languages, and varying levels of understanding... Most attacks originate from outside, making collaboration and intelligence sharing crucial," he said. With increasing digital connectivity among people from all walks of life, he emphasized that raising awareness is a shared responsibility between organizations and parents.

Sona Saha Das, Lead Data Strategy Governance and Analytics at Ceer Motors, noted that the UAE is implementing stricter regulatory measures against cyber threats. "The UAE’s personal data protection law is very clear... However, areas like the Dubai International Financial Centre have their own regulations that one should be aware of." Amit Mehta, CISO and Cybersecurity Advisory Board Member at Mastercard, mentioned that the company has heavily invested in cybersecurity, spending $5 billion over the last seven years. "We have around 30,000-40,000 banks and partners globally where we have deployed our solutions," he said, adding that cyberattacks are often financially motivated, with nation-state attacks also a concern.

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