UAE thwarts cyberattacks targeting government and private entities

The Cybersecurity Council of the UAE Government has confirmed that national cybersecurity systems successfully countered cyberattacks aimed at 634 government and private entities across the country. 

These attacks targeted vital and strategic sectors, seeking to leak sensitive data, but were effectively neutralized using advanced global cybersecurity practices.

According to Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cybersecurity for the UAE Government, a threat actor identified as "rose87168" has claimed responsibility for a major global data breach. 

The attacker allegedly compromised Oracle Cloud’s Single Sign-On (SSO) and Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), leading to the leak of approximately six million customer records worldwide, including sensitive password data.

Dr. Al Kuwaiti estimated that around 140,000 entities globally may have been affected by the breach. In the UAE alone, 634 entities were impacted, including:

• 30 government institutions,
• 13 private companies,
• The remainder spanning various other sectors.

Emergency Cybersecurity Measures Deployed

In response to the breach, the UAE Cybersecurity Council has activated emergency cyber defense systems in coordination with relevant authorities to fortify the nation’s digital infrastructure. This proactive approach aims to mitigate hacking attempts and cyber threats that could jeopardize national security and economic stability.

The Council urged all government and private institutions to enhance cybersecurity defenses,
raise cyber readiness levels and report any suspicious digital activity immediately.

The Council emphasized the importance of continuous vigilance as cyber threats evolve in sophistication. It stressed that institutions must adopt the latest security measures to counteract the rise in hacking and cyber fraud tactics.

The UAE remains committed to strengthening its cybersecurity framework, ensuring the protection of critical data, government entities, and businesses against cybercriminal activities in an increasingly digital world.