While world wonders about 'chemical Syria' threat, UAE fears cyber-attacks

Cyber-attacks cost the economy Dhs1.5 billion ($422 million) a year

Hackers and other cyber-criminals could make next year a difficult one for the UAE’s plugged-in businesses and individuals, a cyber-security firm has warned.

Unveiling a list of the kind of online threats computer users across the country are likely to face in 2013, anti-virus expert Symantec noted that the country is already one of the “most highly spammed” nations on the planet, and claimed cyber-attacks cost the economy Dhs1.5 billion ($422 million) a year.

Warning organisations to be “vigilant”, the firm’s regional cloud and security practice manager Justin Doo said it anticipated a “steady rise” in attacks next year.

Hackers and other cyber-criminals could make next year a difficult one for the UAE’s plugged-in businesses and individuals

“In addition to traditional cybercrime, the UAE’s high number of mobile devices per person creates a new avenue for increasingly sophisticated incidents,” he said.

The firm warned web users to beware of a new trend - so called ‘ransomware’.

“This infects a computer system and restricts access until a ransom is paid to the creator of the malware,” Symantec warned, adding it that “goes beyond attempting to fool its victims; it attempts to intimidate and bully them”.