Cyberattacks in UAE increase after establishing cooperation with Israel,

Dubai: Middle East countries are faced with the crisis of a cyber pandemic, along with the biological pandemic. Under this cyber pandemic, United Arab Emirates (UAE) is faced with large scale cyberattacks. There has been an increase of 250% in the cyberattacks in UAE alone. Mohammed Hamad Al-Kuwaiti, the cybersecurity chief of UAE, accused that the number of attacks has increased following the establishment of cooperation between UAE and Israel. Kuwaiti clarified that Iran also is one of the countries responsible for the cyberattacks.

Hamad Al-Kuwaiti, cybersecurity chief of UAE, while speaking at the Gulf Information Security Expo and Conference (GISEC), held in Dubai, pointed to the increasing incidence of cyberattacks. Our lives have turned to digital transactions during the Coronavirus crisis. Kuwaiti expressed a concern that the intensity of cyberattacks also has increased coinciding with this period. Kuwaiti informed that the incidence of cyberattacks in Dubai alone has increased by 250%.

Kuwaiti pointed out that the incidence of cyberattacks increased significantly after cooperation was established between UAE and Israel, in August. Kuwaiti informed that the health and finance sector in UAE were the main targets of these cyberattacks. Kuwaiti said during the meeting that there are various groups involved in these cyberattacks, they even include Iran. The chief of cybersecurity in UAE clarified that these attacks were to steal the sensitive information in the finance sector. Iran has dismissed the allegations levelled by UAE and said that Iran itself is a victim of cyberattacks.

Even in the past, the United States, Israel and even the Middle East countries have accused Iran of cyberattacks. A few months ago, Israel had accused Iran of launching a cyberattack on the water supply agency in Israel. Whereas, at the beginning of this year, Saudi also had predicted the possibility of a cyberattack from Iran. The US intelligence agencies had warned that Iran affiliated cyber hackers might launch cyberattacks on the Aramco oil company, in Saudi.

UAE demonstrated that there would be no change in its attitude towards Israel, despite the claims that there is an increased incidence of cyberattacks after the establishment of this cooperation. UAE Artificial Intelligence (AI) Minister Omar Bin Sultan Al Olama, announced that soon UAE would be partnering with Israel in the AI sector. Olama had said during a meeting that it has become mandatory to establish cooperation with Israel, in the AI sector, as Israel is making remarkable progress in the AI sector.

Meanwhile, Iran had lashed out after cooperation was established between Israel and UAE, in August. Iran had also threatened that UAE would have to face consequences of this action, in the times to come.