Updates & Highlights

As part of the weekly awareness campaign of the ‘Cyber Pulse’ initiative launched by the Cyber Security Council, the Council highlighted the critical importance of cloud storage in addressing the growing digital and cyber threats. In its weekly awareness message, the campaign highlighted that cloud storage enables individuals and users to reduce risks, limit fraudsters’ access to user data, and safeguard personal information. The Council also pointed out several common cloud storage mistakes that individuals must avoid to protect their personal and financial data in cyberspace. The weekly awareness campaign noted that the most prominent of these mistakes include granting excessive identity and access management permissions, failing to enable multi-factor authentication, overreliance on public cloud storage that may expose sensitive data and facilitate the spread of malware, misconfigured security settings that leave critical systems vulnerable, absence of encryption (both at rest and in transit), and downloading applications without verifying their source or security standards. These mistakes expose many users to significant risks that directly threaten their digital security.

The Cyber Security Council established a strategic partnership with the Safe AI Cup 2026 to promote the ethical and secure use of artificial intelligence. Through this partnership, the Council sponsored and hosted the Safe AI Cup 2026, helping students across the UAE engage confidently with the digital era and deepen their understanding of AI technologies. As part of this effort, the Council also supported the students’ understanding of the role of artificial intelligence in their daily lives and in shaping the present and future through the CyberE71 program, contributing to the UAE’s long-term vision for a secure, sustainable, and resilient digital future. The Safe AI Cup 2026 is part of the ‘Safe AI for Society’ initiative, organized by the Emirates Safer Internet Society (eSafe), the Robotics and Automation Society (RAS), and the Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship (GIE), and hosted by the University of Dubai.

As part of the weekly awareness campaign of the ‘Cyber Pulse’ initiative launched by the Cyber Security Council, the Council warned in its weekly awareness message against publishing and sharing important or personal data and information across various social media platforms. The Council stressed that posting sensitive information on different social networking sites may expose individuals to various types of fraudulent attacks, as such data can be exploited to design targeted and customized scams. It also confirmed that around 40% of users have experienced privacy violations as a result of sharing excessive personal details about their lives, families, and other private matters on social media. Under the theme titled ‘The Risk of over sharing,’ the awareness campaign highlighted that even the simplest details, which may appear insignificant to individuals and are shared publicly, can be exploited in fraudulent schemes. The Cyber Security Council advised users to adopt a set of measures to safeguard privacy and protect data and information in cyberspace.

Mastercard signed an MoU with the Cyber Security Council to strengthen trust in the country’s digital ecosystem and advance cybersecurity resilience through the adoption of global best practices and forward-looking cybersecurity policies. Announced on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit (WGS) 2026 in Dubai, the collaboration also marked the launch of the UAE Cyber Threat Insights Report, which maps the country’s cybersecurity landscape and highlights the increasingly complex ecosystem of threat actors targeting organizations and critical sectors. This partnership will also enable Mastercard to apply its extensive expertise in combating cybercrime and fraud, reinforcing the UAE’s position as a global hub for cybersecurity and digital trust.

As part of the weekly awareness campaign of the ‘Cyber Pulse’ initiative, launched by the Cyber Security Council, the Council called for the adoption of secure and safe electronic donation methods ahead of Ramadan. Secure payment methods reduce fraudulent activities by 25% and protect individuals and entities from theft, electronic fraud, and identity theft. The weekly awareness message warned against unsecured electronic payment mechanisms, fake advertisements, fake refund schemes, and messages imitating the logos of banks or trusted financial entities. It also urged the use of encryption, dual or multi-factor authentication, data tokenization, and fraud prevention systems, alongside regularly reviewing privacy settings and updating software and operating systems.

Under the patronage of the Cyber Security Council, the OT Security First Forum was held on 4 February 2026 at Rosewood Abu Dhabi, bringing together senior government leaders, regulators, Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs), and industry pioneers to strengthen the UAE’s critical infrastructure defense across energy and utilities. The forum addressed the convergence of Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT), with discussions focused on Industrial Control Systems (ICS), SCADA, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), OT risk management, AI-powered threat detection and response, supply chain security, regulatory readiness, and cross-sector collaboration to advance cyber resilience.

Abu Dhabi hosted the CyberFirst UAE Summit 2026 on 3 February, bringing together CISOs, senior cybersecurity executives, government authorities, and technology pioneers to strengthen the UAE’s cyber resilience and digital leadership. The one-day summit acted as a catalyst for policy exchange, strategic collaboration, and innovation leadership, bringing together senior stakeholders from government, finance, utilities and energy, healthcare, manufacturing, and critical infrastructure sectors. Key topics discussed were AI and cloud security, Zero Trust architectures, cyber governance and regulation, threat intelligence, and supply chain security. The summit also featured an Awards & Recognition Ceremony to celebrate excellence and leadership across the cybersecurity ecosystem.

As part of the Cyber Security Council’s weekly Cyber Pulse awareness campaign, securing financial information online was highlighted as essential, with financial data remaining a key target for cybercriminals. The update notes that more than 60% of financial attacks start with stolen login details, often leading to unauthorized access, identity theft, and financial loss. Recommended precautions include using secure payment methods, avoiding saving financial data on devices, monitoring accounts regularly, ignoring suspicious ads or messages, and verifying communications through official channels. Additional measures include enabling two-factor authentication, keeping software updated, avoiding public Wi-Fi for banking, using strong unique passwords, and activating instant bank alerts to spot suspicious activity quickly.

H.H. Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Ruler’s Representative in Al Ain Region, today received at Al Maqam Palace a delegation from the Cyber Security Council, led by H.E. Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cyber Security for the UAE Government. The meeting highlighted the Council’s efforts to strengthen digital infrastructure and build national capabilities in AI and cybersecurity, supporting an advanced digital ecosystem that keeps pace with global technological progress and ensures a secure environment for businesses and institutions across vital sectors. H.H. Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan was also briefed on the Council’s plans to expand CyberE71, the entrepreneurship and innovation program within the cybersecurity ecosystem, to support innovative ideas from school and university students, as well as entrepreneurs in Al Ain Region. This will be done through capacity building and by providing a supportive environment that enables the development of pioneering solutions to protect cyberspace and advance the digital economy.

As part of the Cyber Security Council’s weekly Cyber Pulse awareness campaign, risks linked to AI-manipulated and fabricated videos were highlighted, including reputational harm, identity theft, cyber fraud, and the spread of false and misleading information. The guidance emphasizes staying cautious, avoiding sharing suspicious clips, and verifying authenticity before reposting content on social media. Common warning signs include unnatural movements, inconsistent facial expressions, abnormal lighting or skin tones, mismatched audio and visuals, and blurred or distorted footage. The update notes the growing scale of the issue, with incidents rising to around 8 million fake-video files in 2025, and that many people struggle to reliably tell real content from manipulated media.

The Cyber Security Council, through its weekly Cyber Pulse awareness campaign, urged individuals to adopt “digital cleansing” by regularly reviewing their online activity and reducing their digital footprints. Recommended actions include deleting unnecessary apps, tightening privacy settings, checking app permissions, closing unused accounts, and using secure password storage. Leaving digital footprints unmanaged increases exposure to fraud, phishing, identity theft, data breaches, online extortion, and ransomware. Building these checks into a weekly or monthly routine across your devices, email, social media, and financial apps helps keep your online presence safer and your accounts better protected as digital risks continue to evolve.

The Cyber Security Council welcomed a delegation from the third cohort of the Future Government Leaders Program during a visit organized in partnership with the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government. The visit focused on knowledge exchange and offered a closer look at the UAE’s leading experience in digital transformation and cybersecurity. Participants were introduced to the Council’s cybersecurity frameworks and key initiatives to raise awareness and strengthen government readiness, along with an overview of today’s most pressing cyber threats amid rapid technological change. The program also included tours of the Council’s departments, delivered expert-led sessions on emerging digital risks, practical response approaches, and showcased the UAE’s progress in regional and international benchmarks, alongside the global best practices for addressing cyber threats.

As part of the weekly awareness campaign under the Cyber Pulse initiative launched by the Cyber Security Council, the Council warned about the growing risk of fraudulent messages targeting citizens. It urged everyone to stay vigilant, avoid responding or clicking on any links, and delete suspicious messages immediately, while blocking unknown numbers and reporting them without delay. The Council also emphasized the importance of verifying the source of messages or ads, and never sharing personal or financial information. It noted that tackling online fraud starts with individuals by strengthening cyber awareness and adopting safer digital habits, such as using spam-blocking apps and deleting untrusted messages. With fraudulent messages up by 35% over the past year, the Council highlighted online safety as an increasingly urgent challenge, calling for stronger awareness and shared efforts to address rising digital risks.

Cybercrime is evolving at an accelerated pace, driven by the use of increasingly complex and intelligent offensive tools that often rely on social engineering, artificial intelligence, and the exploitation of behavioral vulnerabilities before technical ones. With the start of the new year, the need to reassess our digital behaviors and strengthen our commitment to safe practices in cyberspace is renewed, as a fundamental necessity to protect individuals and institutions in a world characterized by rapid digital transformation. The importance of safe digital practices is not limited to the security dimension alone; it also extends to a critical economic dimension, as global cybercrime costs continue to rise. Estimates point to enormous sums spent annually on addressing the impacts of cyberattacks and restoring systems and data. From this perspective, investing in cyber awareness and adopting safe digital habits becomes a strategic choice that contributes to reducing these losses and enhancing digital sustainability at the level of individuals, institutions, and national economies alike.

Under the theme “A Safer Year with Smarter Habits,” the Cyber Security Council called for adherence to safe digital practices in cyberspace, stressing the importance of maintaining secure digital behaviors during the new year to effectively address potential risks and threats. The Cyber Security Council affirmed in its weekly awareness message that adopting smart and secure cyber habits helps individuals create a safe cyber environment. It noted that global cybercrime costs are expected to reach USD 11.9 trillion by 2026, and USD 19.7 trillion by 2030. The Council also emphasized the importance of raising awareness among citizens, individuals, and families to avoid falling victim to fraudulent messages, in order to prevent hacking attempts and data theft.