LONDON: Financial firms may need to bolster their defences in the face of rocketing cyber attacks after employees began working from home, the Financial Stability Board (FSB) said on Tuesday.
The FSB, which coordinates financial rules for the G20 group of nations, said remote working since economies went into lockdown to fight COVID-19 opened up new possibilities for cyber attacks. Working from home (WFH) is expected to stay in some form across the financial services industry and beyond.
"Most cyber frameworks did not envisage a scenario of near-universal remote working and the exploitation of such a situation by cyber threat actors," the FSB said in a report to G20 ministers and central banks.
The report is a first take on lessons learned from the pandemic's impact on financial stability.
COVID-19 was the first major test of tougher financial rules put in place after the 2008 global financial crisis and most parts of the system coped well, the FSB said.
Lockdown restrictions are easing but financial firms have told employees they will be allowed to work from home several days a week permanently, and the rest of the time in the office.
Cyber activities such as phishing, malware and ransomware grew from fewer than 5,000 per week in February 2020 to more than 200,000 per week in late April 2021, the FSB said.
"Financial institutions have generally been resilient but they may need to consider adjustments to cyber risk management processes, cyber incident reporting, response and recovery activities, as well as management of critical third-party service providers, for example cloud services," the FSB said.
The FSB, chaired by Federal Reserve Vice Chair Randal Quarles and comprising regulators and central banks from leading financial centres, will publish a final report in October setting out its next steps.
It has already made proposals for strengthening the resilience of money market funds which suffered severed stresses during last year's market turmoil.
Work from home fuelling cyber attacks, says global financial watchdog
https://arab.news/vqws3
Work from home fuelling cyber attacks, says global financial watchdog

- Remote working has opened up new possibilities for cyber attack, reveals Financial Stability Board.
- Cyber activities such as phishing, malware and ransomware grew from fewer than 5,000 per week in February 2020 to more than 200,000 per week in late April 2021.
Egyptian TV presenter apologizes after claiming international artworks as her own

- The backlash also prompted TV host El-Shazly to apologize for the incident
DUBAI: Egyptian TV presenter and designer Maha Al-Sagheer has issued an apology after falsely claiming ownership of artworks by four European artists during a recent talk show appearance, sparking backlash from the original painters and social media users.
Al-Sagheer appeared last month as a guest on a talk show on ON channel with prominent TV host Mona El-Shazly where she spoke of her passion for fine arts and showcased several paintings on a large screen, claiming they were her own.
However, Danish artist Lisa Lach-Nielsen took to Instagram on Sunday to accuse the TV presenter of stealing her artwork, titled “Made Myself Some Wings,” which she created in 2019, along with pieces by three other artists.
“Copying other people’s work is one thing, but taking a photo of the actual painting, that someone else made, and taking public ownership of it … that’s new to me,” said Lach-Nielsen wrote in the post, where she also tagged two other artists whose works she identified.
She noted that the act is “not only a violation of the law but also the person who put their soul and time into the work.
“Living as an artist is not always easy, and we need the internet to show our work … no one should take advantage of that,” said Lach-Nielsen.
In response to the online criticism sparked by Lach-Nielsen’s post, Al-Sagheer posted an apology on her Facebook account on Monday, admitting her “big mistake towards the danish artist Lisa, towards artists and more important towards myself.
“I have been passing through hardship during this period of my life. It has been a very tough time. However, it doesn’t give me the right to do what I have done. I’m deeply sorry and very upset due to what I have done.”
Earlier in the day, Finnish artist Caroline Wendelin also spoke out online, raising concerns over the unauthorized use of her painting “Becoming the Garden.”
Wendelin said: “I’m not rich. I’m not famous. I work until I’m exhausted, all while raising 3 small children and pouring my whole heart into my art. Hoping that one day it might give us a chance to buy our first home.
“So imagine what it feels like to see a wealthy influencer steal my art, claim it as her own, and present it on national TV as if it came from her hands.”
She added that her painting “symbolises how with time and patience, we become what we nurture. Seeing someone erase that meaning is deeply painful.”
On the same day, Dubai-based French artist Seaty took to Instagram to identify three of his artworks titled “Dwarka”, “Kigali” and “Bushido,” which he created in 2017, among the pieces displayed on the show.
“Worse still, in the broadcast segment, my former studio is clearly visible, along with the canvases bearing my signature, and even the original photo available on my Instagram page.”
He added: “After all these years of effort, failure, research, and creative energy … to have my art stolen like this, in broad daylight, so shamelessly and without remorse it’s simply unacceptable. Especially in 2025, in an age when everything can be verified in a matter of clicks.”
The backlash also prompted TV host El-Shazly to apologize for the incident, sharing an image of the Danish artist Lach-Nielsen’s painting and acknowledging that it is her work.
“We respect true artists and value their original creations in all fields.”
Music trade bodies concerned about BBC’s changes to airing live performances

- Move could ‘curtail artistic freedom,’ head of Featured Artists Coalition says
- Move could ‘curtail artistic freedom,’ head of Featured Artists Coalition says
DUBAI: Music trade bodies have accused the BBC of making “arbitrary and disproportionate” changes to its broadcasting and streaming of live music events following the controversy around Bob Vylan’s Glastonbury performance.
During the punk rap duo’s set at the festival on June 28, they led the crowd in pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli military chants like “free, free Palestine” and “death, death to the IDF.”
The BBC livestreamed the performance in full leading to a backlash from the government.
BBC Director-General Tim Davie ordered the content to not be featured in any other coverage. However, due to a technical issue the stream was available on the BBC iPlayer for about five hours.
Davie and BBC chair Samir Shah have both apologized. The BBC said in a statement: “Warnings appeared on the stream on two occasions and the editorial team took the decision not to cut the feed. This was an error.”
Music industry trade bodies and experts now say the BBC is overreacting.
“The BBC is absolutely fundamental to the continued success of British music and particularly vital to supporting our new and emerging artists’ development,” said David Martin, head of the Featured Artists Coalition, a UK trade body that supports music artists.
The FAC supported the network’s public service broadcasting remit, which understandably came with responsibilities and standards, he said.
“If those standards have been breached, then there should be appropriate guidelines to follow. But the idea of preemptively grading artists according to their risk factor feels arbitrary and disproportionate and a dangerous step toward censorship.”
Such an approach could “curtail artistic freedom” and “inadvertently punish those who are simply expressing their views,” he said.
Naomi Pohl, general secretary of The Musicians’ Union, stressed the importance of the BBC and its role in the music industry.
“It’s such a shame there has been this shadow cast over this year’s Glastonbury coverage, because it has had fantastic viewing figures. It’s been all over iPlayer and people have been tuning in live,” she said.
“We need to talk to the BBC about it directly. But I don’t want to see any broadcasters now broadcasting fewer live events because they don’t want to take the risk. The whole of the music industry will be feeling that, because it’s so crucial to us to have the BBC.”
A BBC spokesperson said the broadcaster stood by its decision to make changes to livestreaming music performances.
“We will continue to bring audiences a range of music performances, both live and on-demand and we respect artists’ freedom of expression,” the person said.
“However, Bob Vylan’s offensive and deplorable behavior on one of our Glastonbury livestreams was completely unacceptable and we are sorry it appeared on the BBC.
“This is why we have made immediate changes to livestreaming music events and these, alongside our editorial guidelines, will shape our plans going forward.”
The Destination: Saudi reforms through the lens of a documentary

- Arabic film produced by Konoz, an initiative by the kingdom’s media ministry
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s transformation toward its Vision 2030 goals has been documented in a new film by the Ministry of Media.
Launched by the ministry’s Konoz initiative, “The Destination” highlights the progress made in the political, economic, medical, sporting, cultural, media and artistic fields.

Its title reflects the Kingdom’s path toward becoming a global destination for tourism and investment.
Konoz CEO Abdullah Al-Ahmari credited megaprojects and upcoming events such as the AFC Asian Cup 2027, Expo Riyadh 2030 and FIFA World Cup 2034.
HIGHLIGHT
‘The Destination’ includes interviews with key figures from various fields as well as testimonies, quotes and historical records. It is part of a series of films produced by Konoz in cooperation with almost 90 organizations and more than 2,600 individuals.
“The Konoz initiative aims to document the Kingdom’s achievements through creative productions,” he said, describing the country as a “model admired by the world.”
The film reflected the progress being made on the ground and highlighted the initiative’s focus on Saudi talent in shaping the Kingdom’s future, he said.
“The Destination” includes interviews with key figures from various fields as well as testimonies, quotes and historical records. It is part of a series of films produced by Konoz in cooperation with almost 90 organizations and more than 2,600 individuals.
The Konoz initiative is part of the Human Capacity Development Program under Vision 2030. Its goal is to promote Saudi Arabian culture around the world by highlighting the contributions and success stories of its citizens.
‘Bay of Bengal live’: Bangladeshi fishermen go viral showing life at sea

- Fishermen-turned-influencers have hundreds of thousands of followers on social media
- Content focuses on fishing techniques, daily life on the boats, and marine life
DHAKA: When Shahid Sardar started his Facebook page four years ago, he wanted to share his experience aboard a fishing boat. He did not expect the millions of views he would soon attract as he tapped into a content niche that is rapidly gaining popularity among Bangladeshis: life at sea.
Sardar, 35, lives with his wife and son in the coastal Chittagong district in south-eastern Bangladesh. He started to work as a fisherman in 2013, after leaving a job at a hospital canteen in the capital, Dhaka.
As the chief cook on a vessel with a 50-member crew, Sardar sails across the Bay of Bengal on month-long voyages in search of fish. When his videos documenting deep-sea fishing methods and daily life on the boat began gaining traction, he expanded his content to show various marine species found in Bangladeshi waters — many of which are not widely known.
“I think people generally enjoy fish, especially the kinds caught at sea, which are not usually found in local markets,” Sardar told Arab News.
“The beauty of the deep sea also draws people to my videos. For most viewers, these sights are rare and unfamiliar. They don’t have this experience themselves.”
Posting as BD Fisherman on Facebook, he has more than 360,000 followers. His other account, Fisherman Shahid, has another 240,000.
When two of his videos went viral in December 2023, Facebook approved monetization for his page.
“My first video that went viral showed a bulk of yellowfin tuna and some shrimp. The fish were just dropped on the deck ... it was the rainy season. People liked that video a lot. Within 24 hours, it got 3 million views,” he said.
“As I started receiving some money from the videos, I became more motivated to keep uploading and people started liking my videos more and more.”
He now earns an average of about $500 a month from his two pages. That is in addition to his salary of $120 per voyage, plus bonuses based on the catch — about 60 cents per tonne of fish sold in the market.
“In my locality, everyone knows me as Fisherman Shahid. Wherever I go, people come to me just to know how they can earn through making videos and posting them on social media platforms,” Sardar said. “Recently, the friends of my 7th-grader son also visited my home to learn about my video making.”
While for fellow fishers, Sardar’s content has been an inspiration to start their own pages, for some other followers, like Zaved Ahmed, a Bangladeshi migrant worker in Saudi Arabia, watching his videos is a reminder of his own roots.
“I was born in Cox’s Bazar, a coastal area of Bangladesh, and fishing was our family’s profession. Since 2023, I have been living in Jeddah, which is on the coast of the Red Sea. It seems that sea life is something in my blood. That’s why I love watching Sardar’s videos,” he said.
“Whenever I watch his videos, my mind travels to the sea with the fishing boat, as if I were experiencing it with my own eyes.”
But most of those who follow Sardar and other fishermen-influencers have never experienced life at sea.
Watching it on their mobile or laptop screens helps them connect with the sector that each year contributes about 3.5 percent to Bangladesh’s GDP and is the main source of animal protein in the Bangladeshi diet.
“I think most people generally love the sea, but they don’t have the opportunity to witness the mysteries of the deep sea,” said Karimul Maola, a follower of Sardar from Chittagong.
“Through Sardar’s videos, I’ve learned about many seafish that were previously unknown to me. Also, his videos have given me some idea about how a fishing vessel normally operates — something most people don’t know about.”
There is a similar sentiment among the followers of other Bangladeshi fishermen who have shot to social media fame.
On the page of Ehsanul Haque Shaon, a fisherman who has 172,000 followers on Facebook, one follower says watching his video was “like the Bay of Bengal live in front of my eyes!” while another says in amazement that watching the content made them realize that “life is very interesting.”
“How we survive on a boat in the Bay of Bengal,” a video on Fishiib, a YouTube channel focusing on showing the life of fishermen in the Bay of Bengal, has received more than 10 million views in six months.
“I am truly amazed by how these fishermen adapt to life at sea. They face constant challenges like harsh weather and limited resources, yet they find ways to survive and thrive,” one viewer said.
“Their resilience and ability to work together as a community is truly inspiring. It’s a glimpse into a way of life that most of us can only imagine.”
Condé Nast expands Middle East footprint with full acquisition of WIRED ME

- Transition marks the magazine’s move from a licensing agreement with Dubai-based publisher Nervora to direct ownership by Condé Nast
LONDON: Condé Nast has acquired full ownership of WIRED Middle East, strengthening its presence in the region and bringing the tech, science, and culture magazine into its portfolio of wholly owned titles in Dubai, Arab News has learned.
The transition, announced on Monday, marks the magazine’s move from a licensing agreement with Dubai-based publisher Nervora to direct ownership by Condé Nast.
“Bringing WIRED Middle East into the Condé Nast Middle East portfolio reflects both the region’s rapid evolution and our commitment to spotlighting the ideas and breakthroughs shaping its future,” said Thomas Khoury, Managing Director, Condé Nast Middle East.
“With its authority across technology, science, business and culture, WIRED is uniquely positioned to lead these conversations in the region.
Launched in 2019, WIRED ME has covered regional trends, breakthroughs, and major events such as Expo 2020 Dubai.
Condé Nast said the acquisition marks the next step in the brand’s growth as it looks to expand alongside the region’s fast-developing tech sector.
While the company suggested it will remain commitment to the print edition - currently published quarterly and claiming a readership of over 100,000, according to Advert On Click - it said WIRED Middle East would now serve as its flagship digital-first platform for tech, science, and culture in the region.
Katie Drummond, WIRED’s Global Editorial Director, said the brand is eager to expand its editorial coverage of the Middle East, growing hand-in-hand with the region.
“This is a region driving some of the most dynamic and consequential stories in science, technology, business, and culture,” she said. “We’re excited to build a team dedicated to telling those stories with the ambition and world-class journalism that defines WIRED.”
The move follows a similar shift earlier this year, when Condé Nast took direct control of Vogue Arabia and GQ Middle East, also previously operated under license by Nervora.
The reshuffle has been widely viewed as a strategic realignment of the Arab fashion and media landscape.
With the addition of WIRED ME, Condé Nast’s full Middle East portfolio now includes Vogue Arabia, GQ Middle East, Architectural Digest Middle East, and Condé Nast Traveller Middle East.