The UAE Cyber Security Council (CSC) has revealed that nearly 98% of cyberattacks result from human error, rather than technical vulnerabilities, with criminals increasingly relying on social engineering techniques to exploit trust rather than technical loopholes.
The warning came during the sixth week of the CSC’s ongoing Cyber Pulse initiative, a year-long campaign dedicated to strengthening digital literacy and resilience. Last week's campaign focused on the growing risks of online activity and vulnerability to hacking. To learn more, see Connector's story HERE.
Cybercriminals often impersonate officials, companies, or even friends to deceive victims into sharing sensitive details or acting hastily. Common tactics include fake reward offers, urgent threats, or overwhelming messages designed to create confusion. By using fear, urgency or empathy, fraudsters pressure people into revealing banking information or taking harmful actions.
CSC urged users to remain vigilant by verifying identities, avoiding the disclosure of account details or passwords, and treating urgent or suspicious messages with caution. It also encouraged residents to follow official alerts and updates to stay protected.
The Cyber Pulse campaign is part of broader national efforts to build digital trust and safeguard the UAE community from evolving online risks.