Home devices and VPNs have emerged as prime targets in a widening wave of cyberattacks, UAE authorities have warned, with official data pointing to a more than 40 per cent rise in cyber incidents tied to remote working arrangements in recent years.
Figures from the UAE Cyber Security Council show that roughly 38 per cent of current cyberattacks are directed at infrastructure underpinning remote work setups — a category that spans personal devices used outside the office and virtual private networks.
Security experts linked part of the problem to gaps in how home-based systems are protected. Inadequate safeguards, they said, leave users vulnerable to unauthorised access, intercepted communications, and the theft of sensitive information.
Authorities identified a common pattern in how these breaches occur: attackers probe weaknesses in personal devices and connections running over unsecured networks, using those entry points to redirect users toward fraudulent sites or harvest login credentials.
Both individuals and organisations were called on to treat data protection as a priority — putting in place stronger security protocols and staying alert to unusual or suspicious online activity.
The warnings come as hybrid and fully remote work arrangements continue to gain ground across industries, expanding the attack surface that cyber actors can exploit.
