160,000 cyberattacks a day in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia recorded over 160,000 cyberattacks a day during 2015, with oil and gas, banking and telecommunications among the main targets.
Security expert and information security researcher Muhammad Amin told media in the kingdom that there were over 60 million cyberattacks in the country last year, making it the most targeted country in the Middle East.
“The Kingdom is the most susceptible country in the Middle East to such attacks due to its key status economically and politically,” he told Arabic media.
“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.”
Amin said that the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) and oil and gas installations were the most likely targets for attacks by hackers because of their use or industrial equipment that is remotely managed by the internet.
He added that Saudi Aramco was the most prominent target of hacking attacks.
“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 cyberattacks,” he said.
Source | ArabianBusiness
