The UAE Cyber Security Council has announced the successful disruption of a series of malicious ransomware attacks targeting strategic sectors across both public and private entities. The coordinated attacks sought to infiltrate networks, encrypt critical data, and paralyse digital systems.
According to the Council, national emergency cybersecurity systems—working in close coordination with relevant authorities—detect and pre-empt nearly 200,000 cyberattacks daily. In the most recent incidents, security teams were able not only to neutralise the threats but also to identify the actors behind them and trace the origins of the attacks. The breaches were contained using advanced protection frameworks and robust cybersecurity policies.
Officials noted a rise in increasingly sophisticated intrusion attempts, many leveraging artificial intelligence technologies. AI-powered tactics, including deepfake-enabled impersonation, advanced social engineering, and enhanced ransomware variants, are emerging as significant threats to digital infrastructure.
The Council warned that traditional attack vectors such as phishing and social engineering remain prevalent and are now being amplified by AI capabilities. These hybrid threats are expected to become more complex, adaptive, and difficult to detect without cutting-edge defensive technologies.
Emphasising prevention, the Council urged all government and private-sector entities to strictly adhere to national cybersecurity standards and best practices to strengthen resilience against evolving threats.
Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Chairman of the Cyber Security Council, reaffirmed the commitment of national task forces to safeguarding the UAE’s digital ecosystem and protecting critical infrastructure in line with global benchmarks. He stressed that the country’s advanced digital infrastructure enables rapid detection and response to cyber threats with high levels of efficiency.
He also called on institutions and individuals to remain vigilant, particularly against phishing attempts and fraudulent communications. The public was advised to avoid sharing sensitive information through suspicious links and to rely solely on official, secure communication channels.
The Council further cautioned that sophisticated AI-driven tools are increasingly accessible to criminal networks and terrorist groups, potentially enabling highly targeted and precision-driven attacks against unprepared organisations.
Ransomware remains one of the most financially damaging forms of cybercrime. By encrypting data and demanding payment—often in cryptocurrency—for its release, such attacks continue to cost organisations worldwide hundreds of millions of dollars annually.