UAE Ranks Sixth Globally as Microsoft Highlights Rising Cyber Threats and AI Integration

The UAE has been ranked sixth internationally as a target for cyber attacks in a comprehensive analysis by Microsoft. According to Microsoft's Digital Defence Report, which tracked cyber crime activity affecting customers between January and June of this year, the US claimed the top spot in the global rankings.

Following the US, the nations most targeted were Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan, the UK, and the UAE. The top 12 was rounded out by India, Japan, Canada, Germany, Australia, and the Philippines. A summary of the analysis provided to The National noted that these findings are especially critical for the UAE as the country accelerates artificial intelligence adoption across both government and industry sectors.

Microsoft stated that the data gathered in its threat analysis will play a vital role in strengthening collaboration between the company and the UAE to combat hacking, cyber crime, and other digital threats. "Microsoft, the UAE Cyber Security Council and Core42 announced plans to deploy MDASH, Microsoft’s AI-powered cybersecurity capability, across UAE government entities," the company announced, adding that this ongoing partnership will enhance risk prioritization and speed up responses to emerging threats.

The report also highlighted that the UAE was the third-most targeted nation by hackers linked to Iran, trailing only the US and Israel. Although a self-imposed internet blackout in Iran lasting until May caused a temporary reduction in Tehran-sponsored cyber attacks, Microsoft cautioned that these activities have since resumed. The technology giant observed that Iranian threat actors achieve the greatest success through relatively simplistic techniques, primarily exploiting known vulnerabilities, weak authentication, and exposed internet-facing systems, alongside credential harvesting and phishing.

Yazan Khasawneh, director of cybersecurity at Microsoft in the UAE, emphasized the necessity of maintaining robust cybersecurity measures amidst the rapid growth of artificial intelligence. "The UAE is entering a phase in which AI is becoming part of the operating model of government and business," Mr Khasawneh stated, stressing that security must be integrated from the beginning of organizational AI adoption.

Echoing these concerns, UAE cybersecurity chief Mohamed Al Kuwaiti noted last month that the country continues to face a barrage of daily online threats, with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps orchestrating many of them, and AI further accelerating the tempo of attacks. However, Dr Al Kuwaiti highlighted that the UAE utilizes cutting-edge technology to detect, defend against, and disrupt hacking attempts. The UAE Cyber Security Council previously reported that national teams successfully detected and contained advanced attacks targeting the aviation, energy, and education sectors before any vital systems could be disrupted.