The Dubai Monetary Companies Authority (DFSA), the impartial regulator of the Dubai Worldwide Monetary Centre (DIFC), has warned of the growing frequency and class of cyberattacks, pushed by AI and automation instruments, in a brand new report.
In its new report, ‘Cyber and Synthetic Intelligence Danger in Monetary Companies: Strengthening Oversight By way of Worldwide Dialogue‘, the DFSA delves into the digital danger panorama and explores how rising applied sciences corresponding to AI and quantum computing, are reshaping regulatory priorities.
It particulars how unhealthy actors are more and more leveraging AI and automation instruments to reinforce reconnaissance
and execution capabilities, whereas double extortion ransomware and provide chain assaults rising as key threats.
The DFSA says that, within the face of those threats, regulators and monetary establishments should prioritise cyber resilience. It additionally explains that, whereas regulators are usually well-versed in operational danger, the idea of operational resilience, notably within the context of systemic cyber dangers, stays much less developed in supervisory approaches.
Alongside the cybersecurity risk panorama, the report additionally explores supervisory views on two different interconnected areas: quantum computing and AI rising dangers.
Herman Schueller, director, innovation and know-how danger supervision, DFSA, commented: “As innovation accelerates, monetary regulators globally are actively inspecting how greatest to adapt oversight practices. This report displays the worth of open, cross-border dialogue in constructing mutual understanding of the regulatory, technical, and operational dimensions of digital dangers.”
Addressing systematic dangers
The report additionally highlights the potential for quantum computing to render present encryption in vital communication techniques out of date, and the significance of early coordinated planning round post-quantum cryptography, the cryptographic algorithms designed to be safe towards the potential threats posed by quantum computer systems.
The publication of the report follows the DFSA’s inaugural Cyber and AI Danger Regulatory School in Could 2025, which introduced collectively 70 senior representatives from 18 monetary authorities throughout the Center East, North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. The School served as a platform for worldwide dialogue on the growing complexity and interconnection of cyber dangers, AI adoption, and the long-term implications of quantum computing.
“Digital dangers are now not peripheral – they’re quick changing into systemic,” Justin Baldacchino, managing director of supervision on the DFSA, additionally added. “This report displays a rising supervisory consensus on the place these dangers are converging and the way regulatory approaches are evolving. On the DFSA, we had been proud to host our first Cyber and AI Danger Regulatory School, and we stay up for persevering with significant dialogue with our regional and worldwide friends in assist of a safe, resilient, and trusted world monetary system.”
The report comes as a part of the DFSA’s wider dedication to forward-looking supervision and its function in fostering collaborative, principle-based approaches to regulating rising applied sciences.
