Cyber-attack biggest worry for global enterprises

ALKESH SHARMA / Emirates Business

Nearly 48 percent companies globally consider cyber-attack the major impediment in the smooth flow of their operations. It is closely followed by confidential data breach (41 percent) and unplanned IT and telecom outage (35 percent) that could hamper the day-to-day working of the enterprise.
These startling facts have been revealed in the findings of the BCI Horizon Scan 2016 report, which has covered nearly 568 different organisations spanning across 74 countries worldwide.
“Even in the UAE, we consider cyber-attack as the most perilous threat that could obstruct the even flow of work. Worst part of such attacks is that the identity of the attacker is unknown; he could be sitting in the building right next to your office or he could be operating from a remote location situated thousands of miles away from you,” Akshay Makhani, a technology researcher with a Dubai-based consultancy firm, told Emirates Business.
Testimony to the gravity of the problem is a recent report’s findings that have placed UAE among the top 10 nations, which are on the radar of cyber criminals. Already many enterprises have suffered unscrupulous attempts where criminals tried to break into the company’s systems.
“UAE is home to hundreds of enterprises whose daily transactions run into millions of dollars. This prosperity is also attracting cyber criminals as they try to steal money and confidential data. Only solution to this problem is beforehand preparedness,” pointed out Makhani.
David James Brown FBCI, Business Continuity Institute (BCI) Chairman, said, “In 2015, we have seen old and new types of risk materialise to test societies around the world. Online threats are confirmed as the main challenge for businesses due to their increased sophistication and consquences. Also, physical security is a renewed priority, due to the increase in terror attacks across many countries.” He added, “Climate change has also heightened the risks of disruptions caused by bad weather, sea level rise and unprecedented periods of drought.”
essional relationships, between workers in the local real estate sector and their counterparts abroad. This will contribute towards introducing Dubai and the United Arab Emirates to real estate organisations across the world, thereby creating greater global opportunities for international property stakeholders.