The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said on Sunday it has "confronted" an attempt to hack government websites launched by cyber criminals in Egypt.

The TRA did not reveal which government websites in particular had been targeted by the alleged hackers, nor did it reveal when the incident occurred.

In October 2012, Eugene Kaspersky, the founder and chief executive, said the global cyber warfare would escalate in 2013, in particular in the Middle East where hacker attacks increased dramatically.

Diplomatic relations between the UAE and Egypt came under pressure during the 12-month tenure of former Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi, as the UAE government accused some elements of the Muslim Brotherhood, to which Morsi was affiliated, of planning actions of unrest in the Gulf Arab states.

However, relations between Abu Dhabi and Cairo improved in recent weeks after the ouster of Morsi by Egyptian military. In order to support the political transition in the biggest Arab country by population, the UAE shortly after pledged 3 billion U.S. dollars to Egypt in a mix of cash grants and central bank deposits.

Source: Xinhuanet