The UAE’s energy, aviation, government sectors have been key targets for cyberattacks, the country’s cybersecurity head said, adding that cyber resilience is increasingly linked to national and economic security.
Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cybersecurity for the UAE government, said in a keynote speech at Gisec Global that critical infrastructure is a major target, with bad actors attempting to attack essential sectors like energy, telecommunications, aviation, government and healthcare.
640,000 attacks in one day The cybersecurity chief said on Tuesday that the UAE recorded 640,000 cyberattacks in one single day, with attacks targeting data and critical sectors.
These attacks go far beyond temporary service disruption, with hackers targeting data and critical sectors such as electricity, water and the economy, Al Kuwaiti said.
His message was that security must be built into new technologies by design from the outset, rather than added later.