Security and technical experts and specialists have warned of the escalation of cyber threats, noting that they cause financial losses estimated at trillions of dollars worldwide, in addition to causing great disruption in societies, and they have several forms, most notably cybercrimes, terrorism, and cyber wars.
Statistics presented during the Future Crimes Symposium, organised yesterday by the General Department of Security Conferences and Symposia, led by Deputy Chief of Police and Public Security in Dubai, Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, revealed that the relevant authorities in the country confront more than 50,000 cyber attacks daily, and thwarted 71 million attacks during the first quarter of this year alone, while 49% of institutions were exposed to ransomware attacks, but they were successfully confronted.
In detail, Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim said in his opening speech at the symposium that the rapid development in technical fields and the use of smart applications and programs in transactions without controls or policies governing them will result in negative effects and unconventional cyber crimes such as data theft, blackmail, electronic fraud, attacks on vital infrastructure, and cyber espionage operations that do not know physical or geographical borders.
He added that these crimes can be committed remotely and at a faster speed compared to traditional crimes, and therefore law enforcement agencies must work on developing their technical and electronic infrastructure and their specialized human capabilities in combating these types of crimes and preparing for the future according to well-studied proactive plans that are constantly updated to keep pace with rapid developments in this field, in addition to the need to establish special legislation and legal controls for emerging crimes.
He explained that “with the increasing reliance on technology in all aspects of life, the risks associated with committing cybercrimes are multiplying, so the necessary measures must be taken to protect society from the risks of misusing modern technologies to commit crimes punishable by law through cyberspace, through close cooperation between all sectors and government, private and academic institutions to enhance cybersecurity and work together to develop innovative solutions, exchange expertise, information and best practices in the field of cybersecurity and enhance security awareness among members of society in all its categories, starting from children and youth to the elderly.”
For his part, Chairman of the UAE Government Cyber Security Council, Dr. Mohammed Al Kuwaiti, said that cyber security is the multi-faceted shield that defends the country’s digital assets, noting that the risks of cyber threats are increasing globally.
He added that there are three main forms of these threats, the first of which is cybercrimes such as blackmail, fraud and data theft; the second is cyberterrorism, which exploits the digital revolution and the dominance of social media platforms; and finally, cyber wars that target infrastructure and cause massive destruction to countries’ digital facilities, stressing that the state is dealing proactively to confront and thwart these threats.
He added that the UAE is at the forefront of combating these risks, as it confronts more than 50,000 cyber attacks daily, and thwarted about 71 million attacks during the first quarter of this year.
Al-Kuwaiti pointed out that cyber attacks are evolving in a frightening manner, including those that target the total destruction of the infrastructure of institutions and departments, which is much more dangerous than ransomware, because the latter digitally seizes the targeted institutions and frees them in exchange for a certain ransom, while the former is used in cyber wars and aims for total destruction, noting that the state has successfully confronted such dangerous attacks. He explained that the total losses expected to be incurred by the world due to cyber attacks by next year are $10.5 trillion, while losses from ransomware alone are expected to reach $265 billion by 2031, as institutions are exposed to an attack from such software every 11 seconds.
The cost of a global data breach in 2021 amounted to about $4.45 billion.
He stated that “64% of organizations around the world were exposed to cybersecurity incidents in the same year.”
“Cyber threats have become a major concern, with losses estimated at trillions of dollars. They also cause societal disruption, targeting companies, governments and individuals. Cybercriminals often work in secret organizations, making prosecuting them complicated,” Al-Kuwaiti continued.
He explained that “threats require continuous adaptation of security measures, and include attacks on vital infrastructure such as electricity and communications networks, as well as regular attacks on the banking sector, in light of the reliance on financial transactions via the Internet, in addition to the theft of personal data, such as identity theft and financial fraud, and the seizure of social security numbers, home addresses and financial information.”
He said that dangerous attacks include automated disinformation, through the use of chatbots and other programs to manipulate elections, or to promote violence and destabilize society, by spreading misleading information to influence public opinion and behavior.
In turn, the Director of the Center for Future Studies at the University of Dubai, Dr. Saeed Al Dhaheri, stated that “artificial intelligence technologies are a double-edged sword, as governments try to use them to improve and enhance the cybersecurity system, but they are also used by mischief-makers to hack and penetrate electronic systems. Therefore, governments must adopt a proactive and preventive model to stay ahead.”
He predicted images of crimes emerging over the next two decades, including brain and body hacking through smart chips, virtual kidnapping and paralysis of institutions, super-intelligence crimes, biological weapons and quantum encryption attacks.
In addition, the Director of Information Technology Security at the Dubai Electronic Security Center, Eng. Mohammed Abdullah Bin Thani, warned of the dangers of deep fake, noting that it is an advanced technology that has become a serious threat to society, as it creates fake content that matches the truth, which doubles the possibilities of misleading and deception.
Brigadier Saeed Al Hajri, Director of the Electronic Investigations Department at the General Department of Criminal Investigations and Investigations at Dubai Police, discussed the topic of big data analysis and artificial intelligence, explaining that Dubai Police and other police agencies use big data and artificial intelligence within a security system to maintain security and the course of justice in the Emirate of Dubai. On the other hand, they monitor the misuse of these technologies and work with partners to limit them and hold perpetrators accountable.
Changing the concept of crime
The First Chief Prosecutor of Dubai Prosecution, Counselor Dr. Khalid Ali Al Junaibi, stated in a section entitled “The Adequacy of Legal Texts in Confronting New Crimes” that it must be acknowledged that technological development has led to a change in the concept of crime and transferred it from the stage of traditional crimes with a specific scene to the level of “virtual crimes”, stressing that the UAE law is the best in the world in this regard, but it requires continuous updating.
Al-Junaibi said that it is necessary to establish courts and prosecutions specialised in cybercrimes, in light of the increasing numbers and risks.
Cybercrime Evidence Center
Participants in the Future Crimes and the Role of Cybersecurity in the Era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution symposium called for the formation of a specialized working group to prepare a big data system in the criminal aspect, and another to prepare awareness content on the dangers of cybercrimes.
Participants called for policies regulating the use of generative artificial intelligence, and legislation that keeps pace with technical developments in the field of artificial intelligence, proposing the issuance of a national strategy for cloud computing, identifying the specializations required in the field of future crimes, preparing an educational curriculum for cybercrimes and teaching them in police schools and colleges, and enhancing the capabilities of judicial and investigative agencies to deal with cybercrime cases and train investigators in digital investigation techniques.
They called for the establishment of a digital forensic evidence center and providing it with specialized and qualified personnel in the field of investigating digital cases.
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