The Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Centre has released a comprehensive guide warning of a surge in AI-powered phishing and misinformation, as daily cyberattacks on the emirate reach record levels.
ABU DHABI: The UAE has issued a high-level warning regarding the evolving landscape of digital warfare, specifically highlighting the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by hostile state-backed actors. Dr. Mohammed Hamad Al Kuwaiti, Chairman of the UAE Government Cybersecurity Council, confirmed that Iran has begun deploying AI tools, including ChatGPT, to engineer sophisticated cyberattacks against the nation’s strategic sectors.
This warning coincides with the release of the “Cybersecurity Awareness Guide During Crises,” a collaborative effort with the Department of Government Enablement. The guide identifies a qualitative shift in tactics, where AI is no longer a supplementary aid but a core component used for reconnaissance, vulnerability detection, and the creation of highly convincing deepfake content.
The Six Major Threats
Authorities have outlined six critical cyber threats that typically escalate during regional emergencies:
- AI-Enabled Fraud & Deepfakes: Using voice cloning and fabricated visuals to impersonate trusted figures.
- Phishing & Online Fraud: Exploiting fear to trick individuals into clicking malicious links.
- Account Breaches: Targeting personal and institutional logins.
- Identity Theft: Creating fake social media profiles to spread misinformation.
- Malware: Deploying harmful software via unofficial channels.
- Data Leaks: Exploiting untrusted websites to harvest sensitive personal information.
Escalation in Cyber Warfare
The scale of the challenge is significant, with Dr. Al Kuwaiti revealing that the UAE now faces between 500,000 and 700,000 cyberattacks daily. There has been a marked increase in both the volume and sophistication of these attempts since late February, following regional escalations.
“AI enables faster, more convincing, and widely scalable operations,” Al Kuwaiti noted. He emphasized that during times of tension, fraudsters exploit “rushed digital decision-making” and the spread of unverified news to breach defenses.
National Defense and the Human Element
To counter these threats, the UAE has activated an Advanced National Cyber Defense System. This includes the National Cybersecurity Operations Center (NSOC) and a “zero-trust” model that involves continuous monitoring and real-time intelligence analysis.
However, officials stressed that the public remains the “first line of defense.” The guide urges residents to verify the authenticity of all audio and video content before resharing and to rely exclusively on official government channels for information. Key protocols include enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA), avoiding public Wi-Fi for sensitive tasks, and refraining from using educational or work emails on public gaming platforms.
“In times of tension, your awareness must be faster than phishing and calmer than rumors,” Al Kuwaiti concluded, reaffirming that while attacks are rising, the UAE’s proactive systems are successfully containing these complex threats.
