Do cybercrime laws address emergent IoT security threats? The case of UAE federal cybercrime law regarding RFID technology

Abstract

With the widespread use of radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology as a means for commerce and identification, new types of cybercrime have emerged. Accordingly, revisions to extant cybercrime law are required. This research attempts to determine the relevance of current UAE laws in addressing new cybercrimes on emergent technologies. We reviewed the literature to identify threats to RFID systems, classifying works into three categories: blocking, interception, and physical attacks. We mapped these categories to 50 articles of the UAE cybercrime law to assess their relevance. According to the distribution of law articles pertaining to RFID attacks, it was found that RFID communication interception attacks are not sufficiently addressed in the law and that further amendments are required in the UAE. Example of international statutes are highlighted as models.