UAE faces 800,000 daily cyberattacks amid rising ai-driven threats
The United Arab Emirates is dealing with around 800,000 cyberattacks daily, even during relatively calm periods, highlighting the persistent and evolving nature of digital threats, a senior official said.
Mohammed Al Kuwaiti, head of the UAE Cyber Security Council, disclosed the scale of attacks during a public awareness session in Fujairah, noting a surge in both frequency and sophistication amid recent tensions.
He said cyberattacks have shifted from isolated hacking attempts to more complex, coordinated operations targeting institutions, systems, and individuals simultaneously through multiple channels.
Threats now range from financial scams to campaigns aimed at influencing public opinion, increasingly powered by artificial intelligence that enables automated and more precise attacks. Daily attempts, previously estimated at 200,000, have since quadrupled.
Authorities have identified a broad network behind these activities, including 350 organized groups, 320 amateur hackers, and 120 entities linked to malicious software. Around 5,000 channels on Telegram are also under monitoring as part of ongoing surveillance efforts.
Al Kuwaiti said cyber threats are now continuous and borderless, no longer confined to specific periods of crisis. He added that cyber warfare often operates quietly, fueled in part by digital financing tools such as cryptocurrencies and involving actors across multiple jurisdictions.
He noted that around 20 countries and over 40 organizations have been identified as targeting the UAE, including some groups linked to Iran.
With artificial intelligence accelerating the scale and speed of attacks, Al Kuwaiti emphasized that public awareness remains the first line of defense, urging individuals and organizations to practice basic cybersecurity measures to prevent fraud and data breaches.
“The threat is constant,” he said, stressing the need for sustained vigilance in the digital age.
