Cybersecurity authorities say coordinated intrusion attempts were detected and contained before disrupting critical systems or essential services
ABU DHABI: The United Arab Emirates has thwarted a series of advanced and organised cyberattacks targeting the country’s aviation, energy and education sectors, authorities said Monday, amid increasing threats against critical infrastructure.
The UAE Cybersecurity Council said national security systems detected and blocked the attacks before hackers could achieve their objectives or disrupt vital systems and services.
According to a statement carried by the official WAM news agency, attackers used several techniques to penetrate digital infrastructure, compromise accounts and access operational data.
Furthermore, hackers launched targeted phishing campaigns and attempted to exploit individual users as entry points into protected networks.
Cybersecurity Teams Contain Intrusion Attempts
The council said cybersecurity specialists detected suspicious activity, repelled the attacks and tracked their routes and indicators of compromise.
Technical teams subsequently introduced measures to neutralise the threats and prevent them from spreading across connected systems.
However, authorities did not identify the individuals, organisations or countries allegedly responsible for the attacks. The council also provided no information about when the incidents occurred or how long the attempted intrusions continued.
Officials said the successful response protected the continuity of essential services across the targeted sectors.
Cyber Threats Increase Across Vital Sectors
Meanwhile, the announcement comes as the UAE reports a notable increase in cyber threats targeting critical sectors since the beginning of 2026.
In July, authorities said they had prevented sophisticated cyberattacks against the financial sector. Those operations reportedly involved phishing attempts, exploitation of software vulnerabilities and malware supported by artificial intelligence.
Earlier, in February, the Cybersecurity Council announced that security teams had thwarted separate attacks against vital sectors involving ransomware.
The UAE has consequently strengthened monitoring and defensive capabilities as increasingly sophisticated cyber threats target government institutions, businesses and strategically important infrastructure.
