In 2017, 3.72 million people became victims of cybercrime in the UAE.
Dubai, UAE. In 2017, losses from cybercrime in the United Arab Emirates amounted to AED 3.86 billion - a total of 3.72 million people were injured, according to a 2017 Norton Cyber Security Insights Report. In other words, 52% of the adult population of the UAE on the Internet affected cybercrimes: on average, each of them lost 669 dirhams and about 47.9 hours, or 6 working days, due to the fault of criminals. All victims of cybercriminals, the report says, look typical: they are confident everyday consumers and use a variety of electronic devices - both at home and on the go. In addition, the victims:
- Use the same passwords on all accounts or save passwords in a browser or file
- 45% of all victims believe in their own ability to protect their data.
Many factors play into the hands of computer fraudsters in the UAE: the structure of the country's population with very different backgrounds and experience with technology, the general “enthusiasm” for new technologies in the UAE and their capabilities, and the attention of state bodies that is somewhat “belated” compared to the leading countries of the world and large companies to computer and information security issues of their electronic services and many others, said Kristina Tanciura, head of cybersecurity company InfoWatch Gulf.
According to the expert, the attitude to computer and information security should be exactly the same as to the issues of security of housing, property or cash: you need to store passwords securely, like keys to an apartment, not make purchases in unfamiliar places on the Internet, or at least open to do this, use a separate bank card with a small amount of money, use the mechanisms of double identification of the user's identity already available in many services, and so on. As practice shows, the constant use of even the simplest of such mechanisms can reduce the likelihood of damage by several times.
