Kingdom witnessed 164,000 cyber attacks a day in 2015

Saudi Arabia witnessed 164,000 cyber attacks a day in 2015, Director of the National Center for Cyber Security at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology Basel Alomair told the Jubail Cyber Security Conference.

Cyber attacks get more complicated each year, he told the two-day conference which concluded on Tuesday.

The rate of successful attacks per year is 18%.

Alomair said that 120 countries plan to use the Internet to launch cyber attacks, adding that hackers change their strategy on a daily basis.

“We must be one step ahead of them to protect ourselves,” he said.

IT engineer Afnan Shoudri, an information technology expert, said that some private and governmental sectors have greatly contributed to technological development while neglecting to develop the systems that protect users.

The conference was designed to ensure all stakeholders understand the complexity and the need for action in the cyber security arena, to protect personal and corporate data.

The conference highlighted the fact that cyber security demands far beyond simple passwords and anti-virus protection. Applying frameworks to reduce business risks resulting from the use of cyber systems is important.

Key learning points include increasing cyber security awareness, developing and expanding a cyber security strategy, evaluating a cyber security attack, staying ahead of the curve: looking at tomorrow’s threats today.