Ransomware continues to prey on the UAE

The latest report by Trend Micro revealed that the GCC countries continue to be the chief targets of cyber-criminals, UAE and Kuwait being the most vulnerable countries prone to attacks. The UAE is the land of boundless possibilities for digital transformation and technological developments. With the great reward and power comes the great trials and responsibilities. Likewise, with the great digital revolution comes the susceptibility to the menace of cyberattacks.

In the first quarter of 2018, ransomware attacks were enumerated to be 2.4 million in the UAE out of the 1.7 billion attackers reported globally. The ransomware attacks accounted for 1.9 million in Kuwait and 1.2 million in Bahrain. The technical infrastructure of the companies should be upgraded to fit for the rapidly evolving digital transformation in the GCC countries. The government and business organizations should be equipped with highly advanced security to combat cyberattacks.

Furthermore, a total of 1.6 million malwares and about a million pernicious URL victims were reported in the UAE, which aggravates the whole scenario. The figures are indicators for the imminent cyber-attacks in the GCC countries and calls for immediate attention from the part of the organizations.