UAE thwarts sophisticated cyberattacks targeting financial sector

Abu Dhabi: The UAE's national cybersecurity system has successfully thwarted a series of sophisticated cyberattacks targeting organisations in the financial sector, helping to safeguard critical digital infrastructure and ensure the uninterrupted delivery of financial services, the  UAE Cybersecurity Council (CSC) announced on Friday.

The council said the attacks were detected and contained in accordance with the country's national cybersecurity protocols, limiting their impact and preserving the stability of the UAE's digital ecosystem.

It said national cyber monitoring and incident response teams operate around the clock within an integrated national framework, working closely with government entities, financial institutions and strategic partners to rapidly identify, analyse and respond to cyber threats in line with international best practices.

According to the council, the attacks included attempts to compromise digital systems and critical technology infrastructure, conduct sophisticated phishing campaigns, exploit security vulnerabilities and deploy malicious software. It also warned that attackers are increasingly using artificial intelligence to develop more advanced and complex cyberattack techniques, reflecting the evolving global threat landscape facing the financial sector.

The council said the national cybersecurity framework continues to implement proactive measures, including continuous monitoring, cyber threat intelligence sharing, enhanced readiness, and strengthened early detection and rapid response capabilities to protect digital assets, critical systems and the reliability of financial services.

It renewed its call for all organisations to comply with national cybersecurity regulations and policies, strengthen preventive security measures, regularly update systems and immediately report any suspicious cyber activity through official channels.

The council added that the UAE's advanced national cybersecurity capabilities, supported by strategic partnerships, enable the country to respond effectively to evolving cyber threats, reinforcing the security of its digital environment, the resilience of the financial sector, the continuity of critical services and public confidence.