Cyberterrorism, biometric data poisoning, and metaverse crimes are the most serious digital threats that humans are expected to face in the future, a senior Dubai official said.
Major Tarek Belhoul, head of Dubai Police's virtual assets crime branch, stated, we see a significant increase in crime in the metaverse and digital space as our economies transition to digital economies in the years to come. Data poisoning is highly concerning.
"A lot of people talk about ChatGPT, which stands on existing data available on the internet. We all know that data on the internet is not 100 percent solid. So the big question is how will AI be able to identify what is good and bad data. If state actors and criminals want to operate in that space, just spoil the data as much as they can. We see that it is used a lot in today’s propaganda warfare from a tool aspect,” Belhoul stated.
He elaborated on the use of technologies to commit crime, stating that biometric data (fingerprints, iris scans, voice, and facial recognition) is being used to impersonate victims and gain unauthorised access; malware and ransomware have been repeatedly used to commit crimes and extort money; and criminals are exploiting IoT device vulnerabilities. Belhoul also stated that cyberterrorism is expected to be the most significant challenge as the role of technology advances.
Major Tarek Belhoul also recommended UAE parents to spend an hour per day with their children learning about their internet activities and the online pals with whom they play games.
“I cannot emphasise more than ever before that those who have kids under the age of 10 years should spend an hour with them and understand what they are doing with their phones. Don’t take away their phones, but having a conversation with them is very important,” he added.
He also stated that due to the volume of activity in the gaming industry, Dubai Police established a separate unit dedicated solely to specific digital crimes involving children. The two-day National Summit on Financial Crime Compliance kicked off in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. Leading officials from the UAE Central Bank, Ministry of Economy, the United States, Europe, and the Gulf Cooperation Council discussed the world's ongoing financial and cybercrime concerns.