According to ransomware removal experts, cybercriminals have found a major segment to target through cyber attacks which most notably include ransomware. The new target is the Persian Gulf. Businesses and enterprises in the Gulf have experienced countless ransomware attacks in the past few months.
Why the Sudden Attacks in the Gulf?
Countries in the GCC are transforming their infrastructures through computerization. Modern IT infrastructures are deployed in various industries and governmental institutions in a bid to modernize the Arab World. The overhaul is considered to be critical to the region’s economic and technological progress.
Unfortunately according to ransomware removal experts, cybercriminals have realized this development and are trying to attack the nascent IT systems in the region with ransomware and other malwares. These attacks threaten to halt the GCC initiatives.
Ransomware Attacks in UAE and Kuwait
Trend Micro, a leading security company published its report on the first quarter of 2018 related to ransomware removal cases. The report indicated that United Arab Emirates (UAE) was the unfortunate victim to receive almost 2.5 million ransomware attacks out of the entire world’s 1.7 billion ransomware attacks.
Kuwait followed UAE with 1.9 million of the ransomware attacks while Bahrain was targeted with more than a million and Oman with half a million attacks. It is important to note that these are only the reported attacks. Due to lack of computer security in Gulf, the actual number of ransomware attacks can be expected to be a lot more.
Views of Cherif Djerboua
According to Cherif Djerboua who is a regional tech official from Trend Micro, the paradigm shift of GCC counties requires a great deal of cybersecurity measures. He emphasized the importance of the stakeholders to list security of these IT systems as a prime priority. He further stressed the need of governments and enterprises to bolster their security as the transformation and modernization of countries in Gulf cannot be achieved without it.
Mr. Djerboua did express optimism with enterprises and governments trying to remove ransomware attacks through the enhancement of security. However, he felt that cybercriminals were also
