Dr. Mohammed Al-Kuwaiti, head of the UAE Cyber Security Council, stated in an interview at the Arab Media Summit in Dubai that every missile and drone attack on the United Arab Emirates was accompanied by a cyber attack on the same target. These remarks indicate the complex cyber security challenges the country has faced during recent tensions with Iran.
Simultaneity of missile and cyber attacks
Dr. Al-Kuwaiti explained that these attacks and cyber attacks occurred simultaneously, and the combination of these two methods against the UAE, according to him, is not seen in this way anywhere else. He added: "Whenever we observe a kinetic (physical) attack at any of the ports, refineries, or airports, there is always a cyber attack directed at many of those entities as well." He also referred to various types of cyber threats, including cyber crimes, cyber terrorism, and cyber warfare.
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Need for international laws in cyber security
The head of the UAE Cyber Security Council pointed to the lack of international laws to respond to cyber attacks and said: "There is still no cyber Geneva Convention under which a country has the right to respond to a cyber attack. These laws are still ambiguous." He emphasized that security must be integrated from the outset into systems, and governments, companies, universities, and civil society must share what they know.
According to Dr. Al-Kuwaiti, countries may spend significant amounts on digital transformation, but with a simple attack, all these investments can be jeopardized. He also referred to the UAE's efforts to become a leading country in artificial intelligence by 2071, stating that the country is building data center and cloud capabilities to achieve this goal.
Dr. Al-Kuwaiti also stressed the importance of global agreements on cyber norms through the United Nations and the International Telecommunication Union. This can help various countries better respond to cyber threats and contribute to global security.
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