Recent cyber attacks have placed Saudi Arabia at the top of the list of countries receiving electronic threats worldwide, security software producer Symantec has said.
Although the Kingdom’s rating in terms of malware and fake websites has declined, a report by Symantec said that Saudi Arabia ranked first among Middle East countries in the percentage of spam and second in the world.
Samer Sidani, regional director of Symantec Saudi Arabia, said that the percentage of cyber threats increased by 42 per cent. “More attacks are focusing on stealing data and information, targeting small and medium enterprises,” he added. "For example, Saudi Aramco experienced targeted attacks in 2012 — demonstrating the vulnerability of businesses in Saudi Arabia."
He said that 69 percent of businesses in Saudi Arabia were not backing up their data regularly. “They neglect to create daily backup of their data,” he said.
The report did not show any decline in cyber crime despite efforts to innovate new methods against stealing the information of firms of all sizes.
The sophisticated approach of cyber attacks today is in pace with the complicated infrastructure of information technology, which includes virtual technologies, mobile devices and cloud computing.
“This compels firms to take preventive steps to protect data and information. The application of safeguards and firewalls have become necessary security measures to steer clear of any threats,” explained Sidani.
Although the iOS operating system from Apple scored the highest number of documented vulnerabilities during the past year, the system was under threat only once during this period of time.
In contrast, the Android operating system recorded less vulnerability, but was subjected to more threats than any other system. The Android system is widely used and is dependent on an open source platform.
