The UAE recorded 640,000 cyberattacks in one day, according to Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Chairman of the UAE Cybersecurity Council. He revealed the figure during a session on “Media and Fifth-Generation Wars” at the Arab Media Summit in Dubai.
Al Kuwaiti said cyber threats now extend beyond temporary disruption. Attackers can target data and critical sectors, including electricity, water and the wider economy. He stressed that public awareness has become a key defence against increasingly sophisticated attacks.
Al Kuwaiti said, stressing that people need to question the information they receive, identify its source and verify it before sharing it. He said, “The impact of such attacks can go far beyond temporary service disruption, with hackers targeting data and critical sectors such as electricity, water and the economy. Awareness is the first line of defence. The nature of cyber warfare was also changing, with attacks becoming increasingly decentralised and allowing individuals, including lone wolves, to create a significant impact. A single person can, through fabricated or fake information, influence society and change the course of events.”
The UAE official also highlighted the role of misinformation during crises. Delays in official communication can create space for false narratives to spread. Thus, making it harder for people to distinguish reliable information from fabricated claims.
Al Kuwaiti cited a separate cyberattack involving a private-sector organisation supporting a UAE government sector. A hacker reportedly exploited an unpatched software vulnerability, gained access to systems and demanded 5 million.
The attacker threatened to publish stolen data on the dark web. The incident highlights the risks of software vulnerabilities and the need for stronger coordination across sectors.
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