60 million cyber-attacks against Saudi public sector annually

Maryam Al-Sughayar RIYADH — Security expert and information security researcher Muhammad Amin revealed the number of cyber-attacks targeting the Kingdom last year was 60 million, a figure that made Saudi Arabia the most attacked country in the Middle East. He attributed the high number of cyber-attacks to the Kingdom’s status and distinct role in the region in the political, financial and security arenas. “It is a country that is rich in oil and gas and it has potentials that criminals and other countries seek to take advantage of. All these factors make the Kingdom a target of these attacks, which is deemed the most prominent contemporary security problem,” he said. Amin added that the government sectors recorded the most number of hacking attempts with oil, gas, financial and telecommunications sectors ranking among the most affected. Among the most vulnerable industries, Amin said the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) and oil and gas installations are most likely to be targeted by hackers as they use industrial equipment that is remotely managed by the Internet. Of the most prominent hacking attacks in the world were those against Saudi Aramco. He further said with all equipment being connected to the Internet, especially smart cities, there is a dire need to focus on how to protect them from being hijacked by hackers. As for the hacking of banks, he said most hackers target customers’ bank accounts but some also target automated teller machines (ATMs) and point of sales machines. More serious attacks against financial institutions, like the hacking of over 100 banks worldwide, cause the greatest financial losses. Such attacks are complicated and are carried out by criminal groups that use sophisticated methods, like transferring money from banks and changing the names of account owners. Amin stressed the importance of protecting the Kingdom’s institutions from cyber attacks and said a clear strategy that utilizes the latest technology is needed. “Awareness is necessary for the user so they can ensure the safety of devices connected to the Internet. One should be aware about such crimes especially since terrorists benefit from illicit money stolen in cyber attacks,” he added.