The “State of the UAE—Cybersecurity Report 2024,” a collaborative effort by the UAE Cyber Security Council and CPX Holding, has released the United Arab Emirates (UAE) cybersecurity landscape.
The report presents a detailed examination of the cyber threats that the nation faces, highlighting the critical need for advanced cybersecurity measures.
The report has uncovered over 155,000 vulnerable assets within the UAE, with 40 percent of critical vulnerabilities left unaddressed for over five years.
This significant number of exposed assets, combined with the rise in sophisticated cyber-attacks such as ransomware, underscores the urgent need for robust cyber defenses in a region known for its AI-driven technological advancements and geopolitical importance.
Ransomware and Data Breaches: A Growing Concern
Ransomware attacks account for more than half of the cyber incidents in the UAE, with the Government, Energy, and Information Technology sectors being the prime targets.
Traditional attack vectors like Business Email Compromise (BEC) and phishing are still prevalent. They are expected to evolve with the integration of AI tools, making social engineering and phishing attempts more sophisticated.
The Middle East, including the UAE, faces the second-highest data breach costs globally, indicating the economic motivations of cyber threat actors amidst the region’s prosperity, as reported by CPX.
The increase in Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks further highlights the geopolitical complexity of cyber threats.
National Call to Action by UAE Officials
H.E. Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cyber Security for the UAE Government, emphasized the critical need for collective vigilance and strategic action to counter these sophisticated cyber threats.
He called for an ecosystem-wide proactive engagement to reduce the nation’s vulnerability.
TECHx recently tweeted about the release of the ‘State of the UAE—Cybersecurity Report 2024’, which illuminates potential security weaknesses and the importance of a proactive approach to combating cyber threats.
Hadi Anwar, Executive Director of Strategic Programs at CPX, pointed out the economic vulnerabilities highlighted in the report and called for a unified approach to strengthen national defenses.
He stressed the importance of adopting advanced technologies, fostering a culture of cyber awareness, and building resilience.
Strategic Guide for Cyber Resilience
The report, compiled by a consortium of cybersecurity experts, serves as a strategic guide for government entities, businesses, and individuals.
It provides actionable insights to navigate the complexities of the digital era and outlines key best practices to mitigate cyber risks:
Implement Endpoint Detection and response (EDR): This is essential for identifying and mitigating threats and ensuring visibility across digital assets.
Establish a 24/7 Security Operation Centre (SOC): Vital for continuous surveillance and management of cyber incidents.
Leverage Cyber Threat Intelligence: Crucial for anticipating and neutralizing emerging threats through informed decision-making.
Create and Implement an Incident Response Plan: Fundamental for preparedness and swift action during cyber incidents.
Adopt Proactive Threat Hunting Processes: A forward-looking approach to identify and mitigate hidden threats, enhancing security posture.
As the UAE continues to lead in digital transformation, the report underscores the need for a concerted effort from all sectors to ensure the resilience and security of the nation’s digital landscape.
With Perimeter81 malware protection, you can block malware, including Trojans, ransomware, spyware, rootkits, worms, and zero-day exploits. All are incredibly harmful and can wreak havoc on your network.
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Hackers target these platforms due to their hosting of valuable resources and data.
For financial gain or some other bad motive, the hackers intrude on these platforms to steal data, deploy malicious software, or launch other cyber attacks.
Cybersecurity analysts at FortiGuard Labs uncovered that hackers actively abuse Amazon and GitHub to deploy Java-based malware.
Technical analysis
FortiGuard Labs found a phishing campaign tricking users into downloading malicious Java downloaders, which were aimed at spreading new VCURMS and STRRAT RATs.
It’s been discovered that the malware hosted on AWS and GitHub was obfuscated via commercial protector.
The attacker uses email for C2 by leveraging privacy-focused Proton Mail service at the victim’s end.
Attack flow (Source – Fortinet)
Phishing emails lure victims to click the button downloading malicious AWS-hosted JAR downloader with obfuscated strings.
The downloader fetches and runs two more JARs that use a commercial “Sense Shield Virbox Protector” obfuscator with a trial expiration notice.
Unusual RAT communicates via email, persists via the Startup folder, identifies victims by computer name/Volume ID, and then checks the email subject for ID to execute commands in the body.
Keylogger and password stealer disguised as JPGs on AWS were downloaded via PowerShell.
It provides shell command execution and file upload/download, besides installing malware.
In this campaign, top malware uses the Branchlock obfuscator, which the Narumii/Deobfuscator aids in partially decoding.
Upon receiving the “recovery” command, the program is deployed to steal system info, browser data, and app details to %USERPROFILE%\AppData\cookie as st.jar.
Discord and Steam are the apps that are targeted along with the top browsers like Brave, Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, OperaGX, Vivaldi, and Yandex to collect the following types of system information:-
Network information
Computer information
Hardware information
Process lists
Screenshots
The program named VCURMS gathers app account details, cookies, browsing history, and passwords, storing them in %USERPROFILE%/<username>. Unlike Rude Stealer, it sends stolen data via the same path and email address as the main program.
With Perimeter81 malware protection, you can block malware, including Trojans, ransomware, spyware, rootkits, worms, and zero-day exploits. All are incredibly harmful and can wreak havoc on your network.
Stay updated on Cybersecurity news, Whitepapers, and Infographics. Follow us on LinkedIn & Twitter.
After bringing music videos to Premium users in select markets, Spotify announced a brand-new feature coming to Audiobooks in April: Countdown Pages.
This is the same feature that’s been successful for music releases. It allows Spotify users to “pre-save” audiobooks prior to a book’s release date, while authors and publishers can promote their new titles ahead of launch.
Once an audiobook is pre-saved, a timer countdown will be visible above it until its launch. When the book is actually released, Spotify will notify users so they know they can start listening to it.
Thanks to Countdown Pages, Spotify users can search for titles on the streaming service as soon as they’re announced. After next month’s update, a “Pre-save” CTA on pages of the books that haven’t been released yet. Additionally, a “More like this” tab will show users similar released book that they can start listening to straight away.
Countdown Pages for Spotify will be available in all markets where Audiobooks are available beginning in mid-April.
Since it was released back in 2023, users have played more than 150,000 unique titles through Spotify’s premium service. With a catalog of over 200,000 titles, Spotify believes that there’s room for improvement when it comes to the number of listeners engaging with audiobooks, especially considering that the streaming service has a user base of over 600 million.
A well-known tipster shares the Xiaomi MIX Fold 4 details
The tipster says that the Xiaomi MIX Fold 4 will have a smaller crease on the main display. That is compared to its predecessor, of course. He also mentioned a two-way satellite navigation, and quite possibly an IP rating.
The Xiaomi MIX Fold 4 is also coming with a custom x-axis linear vibration motor. On top of that, the hinge will be stronger than it was on the Xiaomi MIX Fold 3. The company even worked on bringing the weight down. The tipster says the phone will weigh somewhere between 220 and 240 grams, but he’s not sure how much exactly just yet.
You can expect the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 to fuel this smartphone. The phone will come with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 1TB of UFS 4.0 flash storage. Its battery will be at least a 5,000mAh unit. 100W wired charging will be supported too.
The device is said to include four cameras on the back
A 50-megapixel camera with “large aperture” was mentioned too. The phone is tipped to have a new periscope lens on offer too, while an ultrawide camera will be included too. In fact, we may even get a second telephoto camera, so four cameras overall. Bringing the weight down will be a challenge with such a camera setup.
The Xiaomi MIX Fold 3 arrived in August last year. Chances are that Xiaomi is aiming for a similar launch timeframe for its successor too. That slot fits perfectly between Samsung’s foldables and Apple’s iPhones.
Not a single foldable smartphone from Xiaomi has been made available in global markets. They’ve all been released in China only. We’re hoping that will change with the Xiaomi MIX Fold 4.
YouTube has just announced a new design for its TV app that will be rolled out to all users over the next few weeks. The new design is supposed to bring familiar YouTube features and interactivity to the living room while maintaining the same experience that fans of the service know and love.
The main change is the reduced size of the video player, which is meant to simplify interactions. In addition to the visual changes, the new design will include a broad range of new experiences such as shopping and viewing live scores, as well as improvements to existing functionality like accessing video descriptions and comments.
Before deciding what to actually change and what to keep in the new design, YouTube tapped into user feedback provided by long-time users, and here what the service learned:
The new design works for features that require equal or more attention than the video itself (e.g. comments, description, live chat) but obscuring the video would be detrimental to the viewing experience.
We need to continue to prioritize simplicity over the introduction of additional lightweight controls.
A one size fits all solution may not be the best approach, as features such as live chat and video description benefit from different levels of immersion.
The end result “keeps the video front and center, but layers in the ability to access the features that make YouTube unique – all without interrupting the viewing experience.”The bottom line is the new experience focuses on the ability to read through comments and video description while still having the video player in front of your eyes. It’s an interesting concept that will allow YouTube TV subscribers to explore Views without disrupting what they’re watching.
The foldable phone race is heating up, with new phones coming to the market each year. Microsoft was among the first companies to tap into this segment with Surface Duo series devices. The phone was later discontinued, but Microsoft might soon add a new foldable phone to its showcase.
While Microsoft canceled the Surface Duo 3 phone, the recent patent application suggests that its engineers are working on a foldable device. The device reportedly features a single spine folding mechanism. The patent, published on February 29 by USPTO, is also titled “Foldable computing device spine cover plate.”
Microsoft could release a proper foldable smartphone, with a single-spine folding mechanism
As the patent suggests, the upcoming Microsoft device opens vertically and features a flexible display. This design, similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold series, is further enhanced by an innovative spine cover plate. This mechanism protects the screen and covers the gaps to prevent dust and water from damaging the device, a feature not commonly found in other foldable phones.
Adding a single spine folding mechanism to a foldable phone has two benefits. First, it enhances the device’s durability and resistance to damage. The second major benefit is that the phone will be more convenient to hold, as the crease is less visible thanks to a new flexible display and spine cover plate that can pull itself closer to the internal hinge mechanism.
Microsoft noted in the patent filing, “By retracting the spine cover plate toward the central spine as the first display-supporting frame and the second display-supporting frame are rotated into a face-to-face orientation, the width of the folded computing device is reduced, thereby enabling easier and more comfortable handling” of the device, such as with one hand.”
The durability of foldable phones is still a concern
One significant challenge for manufacturers of foldable phones is ensuring their long-term durability. Mainly due to the hinges, which can become worn with regular use. While this issue is less prevalent in modern foldable devices, it remains a crucial concern for buyers. Microsoft’s upcoming foldable phone must address this issue while promising a seamless and top-notch Android experience.
The exact release date of Microsoft’s foldable phone with a single spine folding mechanism is yet to be announced. Meanwhile, it’s worth noting that the tech firm has other exciting products in the pipeline. The Surface Laptop 6 and Surface Pro 10 are also set to make their debut, offering a range of options for tech enthusiasts and potential buyers.
Bluesky, the Twitter alternative and an open-source platform, has introduced a stackable moderation feature that allows its users to have their own custom moderation filters. It’s a significant step forward for the budding social media platform, enlightening its users and developers on how they can create custom labeling tools.
Stackable moderation services on Bluesky will give users plenty of control
The development of new moderation tools started when Bluesky was experiencing rapid growth. The platform recently opened up to all users. With about 2 million new subscribers, Bluesky’s community now has over 5 million members.
It is envisaged by Bluesky that if it follows the philosophy of user-driven moderation, it would build an environment where communities are the main determiners of what happens in their online spaces, based on their cultural values and preferences. The platform will also enable users to set up their moderation preferences and plug into others’ custom-developed filtering systems.
These customized moderation tools, termed as labeling services, allow users to decide what kind of content they want to filter out, thereby making content less offensive or more interesting depending on individual preferences. For instance, a user might choose a service like “Spider Shield,” which eliminates any photographs showing spiders from his feed as this may help cater to personal tastes and phobias.
Credits: Bluesky
To enable these personally tailored experiences, Ozone–Bluesky’s collaborative labeling tool is now available as an open-source extension. Moderation groups can use this tool to respond to reports and apply labels to implement community-driven practices. Moreover, programmers may use Bluesky’s API to create automated labeling systems.
Users can compose stacked filters over the company’s baseline oversight
Jay Graber, the CEO of Bluesky, has adopted a “composable” or “stackable” moderation strategy. The approach may involve establishing a baseline level of oversight. Users can then customize it according to their needs and preferences. In a recent interview with Protocol.com, Graber mentioned that more partnerships with third-party moderators are coming soon to desktops. Mobile integration should come later on.
With this new moderation framework, Bluesky will change forever. The platform continues building and will soon offer a variety of content filters, customizable by each user. Developers and teams who access these tools will make the platform’s socializing experience more dynamic.
The Made by Google podcast recently released an episode where the hosts explained the engineering behind Google Pixel sound design. Google’s Pixel phones are considered some of the most well-designed Android smartphones on the market. This reputation stems especially from the attention to detail the company puts into its operating system. From the visual design, to the animations, and the sounds for every action. Each and every little aspect of a Pixel phone has months of testing and perfecting behind it.
How Google Pixel sound design is planned
Made by Google is a podcast that delves into the behind-the-scenes of how things work at Google. This includes talking to “Googlers” and asking the how and why of everything Google. Season 5, Episode 2 – Sounds Like Pixel Perfect – was a look into how sound effects are made for the Pixel phone lineup.
One aspect worth noting was that the team describes the sounds as “simple”, “human”, and “playful”. This, of course, complements the UI design of the Pixel phones. For example, the sliding bubble animation that clings to the screen until its pulled away. Another fun fact is that it’s not only sound, but also the hardware in the phones. The designers at Google make both the software and hardware work in perfect synergy, quite like Apple’s devices.
“If it’s a ringtone, I want to make sure that that’s going to sound really good in my home, but it’s also going to sound really good on the street. And then we optimize the sound for the hardware. So we make any orchestration or EQ or whatever it is, any types of changes that need to be made to get the sound sounding as good as possible on the actual device.”
AI is a “collaborative partner”
It also seems the designers at Google have already begun implementing generative AI in their work. This isn’t surprising at all given how heavily the Pixel phones use AI. The recently released Gems collection of sounds and ringtones was made with the help of AI. This doesn’t mean it’s entirely AI generated, of course.
For example, as detailed by 9to5Google, the “Amber Beats” sound started with a prompt to AI. “Behind the groovy bass line, there’s an atmospheric pad synth, which adds depth to the track. Bouncy drums are featured with a clear glass hit predominant sound. There are layers of synth sounds.”
The prompt itself showcases extensive knowledge of audio design, but that wasn’t all. From the 30-second clip that was output by the AI, a two-second excerpt was taken and altered. “I took that audio clip and began to rhythmically and melodically alter it, building an original idea that felt authentic to me.”
The entire episode is a very cool insight into how Google’s sound design team operates. As generative AI continues to improve, there might even come a time when employees are laid off and all of the above-mentioned work is handled by AI. If that time does come though, the sound design might lose its “human” descriptor.
In line with bolstering privacy, WhatsApp has started rolling out a security feature preventing users from taking profile photo screenshots. The WhatsApp screenshot-blocking feature has been available since February 2024 for most WhatsApp Beta testers. Regular users have begun to see the feature according to Android Police following a server-side update push by WhatsApp.
Screenshot-blocking will be enabled by default
Upon testing the screenshot-blocking feature on WhatsApp Beta, it comes enabled by default and there’s no way of disabling it. Any attempt to take a profile photo screenshot will result in a blank screen. On the Beta version, there’s a warning message explaining why you can’t take the screenshot.
WhatsApp removed the ability to save screenshots several years ago but this proved almost pointless since anyone could easily take a screenshot of any visible profile picture. The WhatsApp screenshot-blocking feature should address this issue once and for all.
However, you can still take screenshots of profile thumbnails from a chat screen or when viewing a contact’s profile. The thumbnails will be of significantly lower resolution but may still be clear enough especially on the profile preview screen. If this is a cause for concern to you, you can always limit your profile photo’s visibility or avoid having one altogether.
A welcome feature for enhanced WhatsApp Security
The profile photo screenshot blocking update should be one more hurdle to keep WhatsApp scammers at bay. It should also enhance privacy given that profile photos are usually personal images that you may not want in the wrong hands. You’ll have more control over who gets their hands on your photo and reduce the chances of someone impersonating you or sharing it without your consent.
You can check whether this feature is available by taking a screenshot of one of your contact’s profile images. You should get a warning message alongside a blank screen. If it’s not yet available to you—keep checking over the next couple of weeks.
You don’t need to update to the latest WhatsApp version to get this feature since it’s a server-side update. It’ll also be enabled by default so no need to adjust your settings.
We’re here to compare the OnePlus 12 vs HONOR Magic6 Pro, some of the finest flagship smartphones around. These two juggernauts both come from China, and they are not that similar. They are both quite large and powerful, though, and both do come in global variants, in case you were wondering. Both of these phones also launched rather recently, well, at least their global models did.
As per usual, we’ll first go over their specifications, and will then move to various other categories. We will compare the designs of the two phones, their displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio performance. There is a lot to talk about here, so, let’s get started, shall we?
Both of these phones are large and have curved panels on the front. They also come with rounded corners, and their backplates are also proportionally curved to their front sides. The OnePlus 12 has a centered display camera hole at the top, while the HONOR Magic6 Pro includes a pill-shaped cutout that is also centered. The bezels around the displays on both phones are quite thin, but the ones on the Magic6 Pro are also uniform.
If we flip the two phones around, you’ll see considerably different camera islands there. The one on the OnePlus 12 sits in the top-left corner, and it connects to the frame with a piece of metal. The camera island itself is circular, though, and the sensors are set up in two rows (2×2). The HONOR Magic6 Pro’s camera island is centered on the back, and it is round, but it has some added design elements around that break that circular look. There are three cutouts in there, with the top one being the largest. The camera layout here is easily recognizable.
Both phones are made out of metal and glass. The thing is, the HONOR Magic6 Pro also comes in a vegan leather option. Speaking of which, that vegan leather model does add far more grip to the table, and that’s the model that we reviewed. It’s also a bit lighter than the glass model, it weighs 225 grams compared to 229 grams. The OnePlus 12 weighs 220 grams, by the way.
These two phones are fairly similar in terms of dimensions. The OnePlus 12 is slightly taller and thicker, while they are equal in terms of width. Both phones also deliver protection against water and dust. The OnePlus 12 is IP65 certified, while the HONOR Magic6 Pro is IP68 certified.
OnePlus 12 vs HONOR Magic6 Pro: Display
The OnePlus 12 features a 6.82-inch QHD+ (3168 x 1440) LTPO AMOLED display. That panel is curved, and it has an adaptive refresh rate (1-120Hz). It can also project HDR10+ content, and it has Dolby Vision support. The OnePlus 12’s panel has a theoretical max brightness of 4,500 nits, though you’ll never be able to go that high. The screen-to-body ratio is around 90%, while the display is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus 2.
OnePlus 12
The HONOR Magic6 Pro has a 6.8-inch 2800 x 1280 LTPO OLED display. That panel is curved, and it also has an adaptive refresh rate (1-120Hz). HDR content is supported here, and the panel can project up to 1 billion colors. The theoretical maximum brightness of the display is 5,000 nits. The screen-to-body ratio is around 91%, while the display aspect ratio is 19.5:9. This panel is protected by the Jurhino glass.
The bottom line is, both of these displays are phenomenal. Both of them are vivid, sharp, and have great viewing angles. They’re also very responsive and have rather high PWM dimming. Well, the HONOR Magic6 Pro does have the advantage in that regard, but both are above most phones. Both displays are also well protected, and both of them get more than bright enough in all conditions. We really don’t have any complaints about either of these two panels.
OnePlus 12 vs HONOR Magic6 Pro: Performance
Both of these phones utilize the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC from Qualcomm. That is the most powerful processor that Qualcomm has to offer at the moment, and it’s a great choice by both companies. The OnePlus 12 comes with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM globally, while the HONOR Magic6 Pro offers 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM with its global model (up to 16GB in China). Both devices also utilize UFS 4.0 flash storage.
The performance from both devices was outstanding, to say the least. They handled everyday tasks with ease, and the same can be said for gaming too, actually. Both devices have really good cooling, and that is especially true for the OnePlus 12. OnePlus managed to surprise everyone with the size of the vapor chambers (two, stacked). When it comes to regular, everyday performance, the two phones were on par. They launched apps really fast, browsing was no problem, and multitasking was handled with grace, and that goes for basically anything we did with the two devices. There was no lag to speak of.
In terms of gaming, we ran several games on both devices, in various ranges, and all of them ran without any issue. That even goes for Genshin Impact, which is usually the benchmark we use. Both phones were able to handle an hour of Genshin Impact without a problem, the performance was spot on at the highest of details. Neither phone got too hot to handle, not at all.
OnePlus 12 vs HONOR Magic6 Pro: Battery
The OnePlus 12 packs in a 5,400mAh battery, while the HONOR Magic6 Pro has a 5,600mAh battery on the inside. Needless to say, these are rather large battery packs in the two phones. Does that mean they offer great battery life? Well, it doesn’t necessarily have to mean that, but in the case of these two phones, it surely does. These are some of the best flagships out there in terms of battery life, at the time of writing this article.
We were able to cross the 9-hour screen-on-time mark on both of these smartphones. That’s not something we can say for a lot of phones out there. Do note that gaming was not a part of the package, though, but everything else, was, pretty much. Even if you throw gaming into the equation, in normal amounts, getting great battery life from both phones is quite realistic, you don’t have to worry about them dying on you in the middle of the day.
Even if you run out of juice at an inconvenient time, both phones charge really, really fast. The OenPlus 12 supports 100W wired (80W in the US), 50W wireless, and 10W reverse wireless charging. The HONOR Magic6 Pro supports 80W wired, 66W wireless, reverse wireless, and reverse wired charging. Do note that only the OnePlus 12 comes with a charger in the box, though, the HONOR Magic6 Pro does not. You’ll have to get one separately.
OnePlus 12 vs HONOR Magic6 Pro: Cameras
The OnePlus 12 features a 50-megapixel main camera, along with a 48-megapixel ultrawide unit (114-degree FoV), and a 64-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (3x optical zoom). The HONOR Magic6 Pro has a 50-megapixel main camera, a 50-megapixel ultrawide unit (122-degree FoV), and a 180-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (2.5x optical zoom). Both phones have rather compelling hardware on offer.
HONOR Magic6 Pro
Is the performance any good? Well, yes, it is. The images they provide are different in terms of style, but both phones are quite capable in the camera department. The OnePlus 12 is boosted by Hasselblad, and it simply loves contrasty shots with pronounced colors. Do note that those colors tend to look outstanding, and not oversaturated or anything like that. The HONOR Magic6 Pro likes to brighten up the scenes a bit more in low light, and it also prefers warmer tones.
Both smartphones do a great job in both daylight and low light. You’ll see more of a difference between them in low light, though, due to different shooting styles. If you like images to look closer to real life in low-light situations, the OnePlus 12 is probably the better choice. If you like brighter, warmer images, the HONOR Magic6 Pro is the one to go for. Both phones have very capable periscope telephoto cameras, but we did prefer the performance of the HONOR Magic6 Pro when it comes to telephoto shots. That camera also does a great job in low light.
Audio
Both devices do have a set of stereo speakers included, but the ones on the HONOR Magic6 Pro are a bit louder. Both sets of speakers are well-optimized and balanced, though, and the sound is good across the board.
You will not find an audio jack on either device. Both of them do have Type-C ports, however, so you can always hook up your wired headphones that way. If not, Bluetooth 5.4 is on offer with the OnePlus 12, and Bluetooth 5.3 with the HONOR Magic6 Pro.
