Amid a large-scale technical failure on Friday, July 19, UAE residents have been assured that no hacks or cyber attacks were detected.
Following global outages that disrupted major airlines, banks, television broadcasts, and telecommunications, the UAE’s Cyber Security Council issued an alert urging users of Crowdstrike software to exercise caution regarding software updates.
“We inform you that there is a technical defect in the Crowdstrike software update that may affect the electronic systems of the institutions that use it,” stated the UAE’s Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) in a post.
The Dubai Electronic Security Centre (DESC) also released a statement later on Friday, highlighting their swift action to safeguard Dubai government services. “There are no indications that cyber attacks caused the glitch. DESC urges the public to follow official sources for information on the issue and avoid circulating any rumours,” the statement read.
Some online services of the UAE Government experienced disruptions due to the cyber outage impacting major institutions globally. Nonetheless, the security council reassured residents that there are no signs of hacks or cyber attacks.
Authorities advised residents to stay vigilant and avoid falling prey to hackers who might exploit this technical flaw. They also emphasized the importance of verifying information from official sources and not being misled by rumours.