Microsoft ranks UAE sixth among cyberattack targets — The National
The United Arab Emirates ranked sixth globally among cyberattack targets, according to Microsoft. The United States topped the ranking, followed by Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. As The National reports, the analysis covers cybercriminal activity affecting the company’s customers from January to June this year.
India, Japan, Canada, Germany, Australia and the Philippines were also among the 12 countries most frequently targeted by cyberthreats. Microsoft said the data are particularly significant for the UAE, where the use of artificial intelligence is being expanded in the public sector and industry.
Cooperation in cyber defence
Microsoft said the analysis data should strengthen the company’s cooperation with the UAE in countering hacker attacks, cybercrime and other digital threats. The company, the UAE Cyber Security Council and Core42 announced plans to deploy MDASH, Microsoft’s artificial intelligence-based cybersecurity capability, in Emirati government institutions.
According to the company, further cooperation should help identify priority risks and respond to emerging threats more quickly and at greater scale.
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Activity of Iran-linked hackers
Microsoft also reported that the UAE was the third most attacked country among the targets of hackers the company links to Iran. Only the United States and Israel ranked higher on this list. The report says that an internet shutdown self-imposed by Iran, which lasted until May, caused a slight decline in cyberattacks Microsoft links to Tehran, but this activity later resumed.
The company stated that cyber groups linked to the Iranian state primarily exploit known vulnerabilities, weak authentication and internet-exposed systems. They also use credential theft and phishing to gain initial access.
Microsoft’s cybersecurity director in the UAE, Yazan Hasaoune, stressed that protection must be embedded in organizations’ approaches to implementing artificial intelligence, identity management, data protection and ensuring business continuity.
