UAE to strengthen cybersecurity with new policies
The UAE hopes to introduce three new policies to enhance the country’s existing cybersecurity framework.
According to the Emirates News Agency, the proposed policies will concern the domains of cloud computing, data security, IoT security, and cybersecurity operations centres.
Even though the inner workings of these rules are not yet known, it is safe to assume that the development of technology is one of the major principles behind the new political regulation due to the overall context. By driving the creation and adoption of new types of equipment, these rules will also make the UAE a central point for innovation in technology, improving conditions in the UAE. The technology-driven focus of these rules is likely to be one of the core premises, underpinning the new regulation.
In addition to these policies, Mohammed Hamad Al-Kuwaiti, the chair of the UAE Cybersecurity Council, confirmed that the UAE’s prospective encryption law, which will establish standards for data transmission security with quantum systems, is expected to be finalised by the end of the year.
The UAE Cybersecurity Council takes a proactive stance in safeguarding the country’s digital terrain. Al-Kuwaiti highlights the necessity of effective cybersecurity systems due to the inability to forecast possible attacks. Moreover, with the evolution of AI and emerging solutions that can identify online weak spots, the state needs to make its best efforts to protect its citizens from adverse effects and cyber threats.
It is vital to note that such measures are urgent because the number of cyberattacks targeting key sectors in the UAE, including financial services, continues to increase. In 2021, a bank manager in the UAE was deceived by fraudsters who used deepfake technology, resulting in the theft of $35 million. Al-Kuwaiti states that AI-enabled attacks can threaten the infrastructure weaknesses of UAE businesses.
The upcoming legislation, however, is designed to help create a strong cybersecurity system in the UAE that can prevent such attacks and deal with hackers according to the highest world standards. According to Al-Kuwaiti, the UAE’s approach is effective, largely because the UAE “serves as an inspiring model for many countries worldwide aiming to develop their cybersecurity systems.”
As the UAE undergoes an unprecedented rate of digital transformation, there is no doubt that cybersecurity measures should be at their strongest. The effects of new policies and the encryption law are significant in creating a secure digital environment. There is no reason to believe that these regulations come with overly ambitious technology goals that the current state of policies cannot support, or that the UAE’s population and businesses cannot be protected against turn-of-the-century cyber threats.
Cybersecurity is a top priority in the UAE’s digital agenda. In this way, the country is not only striving to be advanced in terms of rapid technological innovation. Under the current conditions, an effective solution that supports the role of cybersecurity as a full-fledged state security tool will demonstrate a model that can become a benchmark for other states transitioning to the digital modernisation of their economies and infrastructures.
See also: European organisations demand fair EU cybersecurity practices for big tech
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