UAE to issue 3 new policies to boost cybersecurity by end of 2024

These policies aim to enhance the country’s position as a global hub for advanced technology and artificial intelligence (AI)

Three new policies that will boost the country’s cybersecurity are currently being developed by the UAE’s Cybersecurity Council, it was confirmed on Saturday, July 27.

These new policies include ‘cloud computing and data security’, ‘Internet of Things security’, and ‘cybersecurity operations centres’, and are expected to be issued by the end of 2024.

The executive regulations for the ‘encryption’ law, which sets the main standards for securing data transmission in line with quantum systems, are also expected to be issued before the end of this year, noted Dr Mohammed Hamad Al-Kuwaiti, Chairman of the UAE Cybersecurity Council.

These policies aim to enhance the UAE’s position as a global hub for advanced technology and artificial intelligence (AI).

These new policies will be implemented following news of malicious cyberattacks targeting strategic sectors in the UAE, especially the financial sector, to compromise national security or obtain financial information to blackmail individuals or countries for illicit gains.

Dr Al-Kuwaiti affirmed that the UAE’s cybersecurity system continues to repel and thwart such attacks, identify the hackers, and deal with them as per the highest international standards.

The UAE’s digital transformation affects all sectors, including health, energy, education, aviation, and other vital areas. This creates an increasing demand for an advanced cybersecurity system to safeguard cyberspace from prospective attacks, especially given the evolving AI solutions used by many entities to conduct general surveys to discover digital weaknesses in important infrastructure in vital industries.

Dr. Al-Kuwaiti said that the UAE serves as an inspiring model for many countries worldwide aiming to develop their cybersecurity systems, particularly in the data sector, amid rapid developments in advanced technology and AI.

He also explained that these new policies underscore the importance of protecting these institutions from threats and breaches that could lead to data leaks, identity theft, intellectual property infringement, and breaches of main infrastructure and security digital records.