Qatar National Bank (QNB) Data Breach and Qatar News Agency Hack
1. Qatar National Bank (QNB) Data Breach (2016)
What did attackers break into?
The attackers broke into Qatar National Bank’s (QNB) systems and leaked massive amounts of documents of around 1.4 GBs. The leaked data contains passwords, PINs, payment card information, and internal corporate files.
How did the attackers break into it?
QNB did not confirm anything following their policies of not replying to the media, so the method of attack remains unclear. However, it is suspected that a combination of phishing, exploiting vulnerabilities in the corporate’s system, or an insider threat was used.
Who was impacted?
The QNB data breach impacted hundreds of thousands of QNB’s clients, including individual and corporate accounts. The leaked data contains passwords, PINs, payment card information, and internal corporate files, and folders that contained sensitive information related to the Qatari government, Al Jazeera, and intelligence agencies, leading to severe reputational damage.
How was it investigated?
An internal investigation was conducted by QNB with third-party cybersecurity experts to assess the scope of the breach. It included forensic analysis of the data and the bank’s system to mitigate further risks. Later, QNB came out with a statement to reassure customers that there would be no financial impact on their accounts, although the breach had privacy implications. The motivation behind the attack is suspected to be an attempt to damage the bank’s reputation rather than a direct attack on its customers.
2. Qatar News Agency Hack (2017)
What did attackers break into?
The Qatar News Agency (QNA), a state-run news agency responsible for publishing news in multiple languages, was breached in 2017.
How did the attackers break into it?
The attackers hacked into the website by publishing fake news stories and false quotes. These stories were critical of the U.S. and contained fabricated statements attributed to the Qatari Emir. The exact method of the hack was not disclosed, but it's believed the attackers exploited weaknesses in the website's security or used social engineering tricks.
Who was impacted?
The attack caused significant damage to Qatar's international relations. The fake news led to tensions and a diplomatic crisis with several Arab countries, which led to the blockade on Qatar. This misinformation negatively impacted Qatar's diplomatic interactions.
How was it investigated?
Initially, Russian hackers were blamed for the attack. However, later investigations by U.S. intelligence linked the attack to the United Arab Emirates, although they denied involvement. Cybersecurity experts were consulted to analyze the attack to understand how it happened and its consequences.