DOHA , Qatar (Reuters) – Qatar has launched an investigation into a cyberattack against its official state news agency, an official said on Thursday, after the news agency was hacked.
The website of the news agency was hacked early Wednesday morning by hackers who posted a false statement attributed to the country’s Emir, Sheikh Tamin bin Hamad Al-Thani, which seriously deviates from Qatar’s foreign policy.
In addition, the Twitter account of the head of the state was attacked by the hackers who later published a similar false statement.
The false statements were published via multiple channels by the hackers and quoted by media in the Middle East.
Qatar’s foreign minister Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al Thani explained the details of the incident to the media at a press briefing on Thursday. He said that the hacking is a crime, and Qatar has launched an inquiry.
They cannot confirm the background of the hackers and whether or not the cyber attack was launched inside Qatar or outside, but they have confidence that the truth will be bound, said the foreign minister.
“The website of the Qatar News Agency was attacked by hackers. They posted a false statement attributed to the Emir, which has nothing to do with the Emir at all. We have launched an inquiry to investigate the crime, for a criminal investigation. We will find the perpetrator and prosecute them,” said Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al Thani.
The attack occurred immediately after the United States President Donald Trump concluded his visit to the Middle East. Mohammed said that the false statement will not affect Qatar’s relations with great powers including the US. He added that Qatar has communicated with Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to prevent any possible negative effect arising from the false statement.
