Assignment 2: Security Research

2.1 Qatar National Bank Hack

What did hackers break into?

The hackers broke into Qatar National Bank's databases, which contained various data, including personal data about customers, their bank account numbers, their passwords, and more.

How did hackers break into it?

Hackers broke into Qatar National Bank using an SQL injection that allowed them to get access to big amounts of data.

Who was impacted?

This hack impacted thousands of Qatar National Bank customers. They got their financial and personal data exposed.

How was it investigated?

The bank investigated the case with security experts to address its vulnerabilities with SQL injections.

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2.2 RasGas attacks

What did hackers break into?

The hackers broke into Qatari energy firm RasGas and shut down its computers to target oil and energy industry. Because of the attack, RasGas shut down its website and email systems.

How did hackers break into it?

The hackers used a virus called "Shamoon" or "Disstack" that uses shared hard drives to spread around the network.

Who was impacted?

The attack was targeted on the RasGas's oil and energy industry; however, the company claims that its oil and energy operations were unaffected with the impact being the shut down of its website and email systems.

How was it investigated?

RasGas did not share details of the investigation, but it's highly likely that security experts helped find and fix the flaw in its security.

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