The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) affirmed that the legal and regulatory framework in the UAE strictly prohibits espionage in any of its forms, stressing that any of these acts is regarded as a crime which is punishable under the applicable laws.

In a statement, TRA stressed that it imposes strict measures to protect the privacy of users using voice and video communication applications approved in the UAE, noting that it is constantly following the recent allegations and concerns about the privacy of the application known as “ToTok.” The TRA added the United Arab Emirates is committed to encouraging the appropriate investment environment to support entrepreneurship and innovation in various fields, as the country seeks to adopt and support the latest current technologies such as the fifth generation of mobile phones, “Blockchain”, “Internet of Things” technologies, and artificial intelligence applications.

The TRA also warned the public against a worldwide virus outbreak that goes by the name of ‘Emotet.’ The virus is a malicious system that spreads malware and infects users through its bulk spam email campaigns containing harmful links to users.

Emotet first emerged in 2014, originally designed as a banking malware that attempted to sneak onto an individual’s computer and steal sensitive and private information. Later versions of the software saw the addition of spamming.

The TRA also warned the public of the risk of fraudulent messages that mislead recipients into thinking that they are from reliable sources and invite them to click on certain links or send private information by phone, email or otherwise, ultimately making the recipient a victim of scam and online fraud.

A widespread of fraudulent messages containing links have been recently detected. Such message reach users via SMS and WhatsApp, impersonating a well-known company or bank established in the UAE, which then ask the user to call some numbers, provide personal data and bank card details, under the pretext of unblocking the ATM card. Users become victims of fraud and theft due to lack of awareness of such methods used in the attack.

In addition, the TRA cautioned against widespread Snapchat links such as filters because they may contain malware. The TRA recommended not clicking such links until after verifying the sender to avoid being infected with any malicious code.

The TRA advised the public not to open unknown links or attachments from unverified sources. It also urged users to verify the authenticity of text messages, refrain from calling mentioned numbers and get in touch with the concerned entity by using the numbers on its official channels.

WAM