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Arabia | |||
Saudi, UAE top gulf cyber-crime victims: report | |||
2009-11-16 | |||
[Al Arabiya Latest] Saudi Arabia was ranked first and the United Arab Emirates second as the most vulnerable of the Gulf countries to fall victim to cyber crimes, such as website hacking,
In Saudi Arabia 796,000 cases of computer system crashes instigated by hackers were recorded in the past nine months, accounting for 64 percent of the total number of cases in the Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC), according to Trend Micro, a firm specialized in network antivirus and Internet content security.
Last week the website of the Saudi-based al-Watan newspapers was hacked by suspected supporters of a religious cleric who was sacked from the kingdom's Council of Senior Clerics board.
The report said most cases of system collapse in Saudi Arabia and the UAE involved attacks by hackers to steal valuable data such as passwords and credit card numbers. A Saudi cabinet meeting approved on March 26 a regulation to combat cyber crimes allowing for fines up to SR11 million ($2.93 million) depending on the seriousness of electronic crimes committed. The cabinet also passed another regulation for electronic transactions and both were prepared by the Information and Communication Technologies Commission in cooperation with the Ministry of Information. But the prosecution of computer hackers by local authorities is almost impossible because, according to the Trend Micro report, most attacks come from countries outside the region. The Arab League prepares to hold a workshop in the coming days to discuss ways to reduce cyber crimes and enhance systems protection. | |||
Posted by:Fred |