Almost 800 cybercrime cases handled by Abu Dhabi police last year

More than 200 of the incidents were categorised as blackmail, says Brigadier Tariq Al Ghoul

Cloud computing is also allowing SMEs to harness untapped digital potential in the region Ritchie Tongo/EPA

Abu Dhabi police investigated 774 cybercrime cases in 2017, of which 206 were categorised as blackmail.

Brig Tariq Al Ghoul, Director of the Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Investigation, said Abu Dhabi police were taking extra care to combat cybercrimes with innovative methods and technologies.

He also called upon the public to safely use the internet, to avoid fraud and blackmail and becoming involved in criminal cases. He also cautioned about spamming and fraud, and avoiding falling prey to cybercrimes along with the necessity of being careful with what is published on websites or social media, to preserve the confidentiality of individual's data and privacy, reported state news agency Wam.

Brig Al Ghoul also advised any person who faces any type of cybercrime to not hesitate in contacting the police. He stressed that Abu Dhabi Police place great importance in combating these crimes, while maintaining total secrecy, professionalism and transparency.