Qatar claims hacking of state news agency 'originated' from UAE

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Qatari experts claim to have evidence that a cyber attack on the country's state news agency, Qatar News Agency (QNA), in late May originated from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Qatar’s investigators traced the IP (Internet protocol) address linked to the hacking to the UAE, said Othman Salem al-Hammoud, assistant director of Qatar’s Ministry of Interior Information Security Department.

They also claim to have found evidence that the UAE’s plan to hack QNA began as early as April, when professionals from UAE allegedly began to scan the QNA site and systems to look for security loopholes.

Qatari officials accuse the UAE of responsibility for the cyber attacks on Qatar's official news agency QNA. /VCG Photo

“On May 23, the QNA website saw an unusual hike in the number of visits, as many as 45 visits in just 15 minutes, during 23:45-00:01,” he said.

“Again for 15 minutes, the website experienced a surge in the number of visits – 41 visits – originating from the UAE in particular. The hike in the number of visits showed the hackers' eagerness to make sure that planted news had been circulated. Besides, all social media platforms of QNA were hacked for the same purpose (posting fake news)."

Without revealing details about the hackers, Othman Salem al-Hamoud stated that the level and the quality of the hacking was “so professional” that it had to have "state resources" support behind it.

QNA was hacked from late at night on May 24 to the early hours of May 25, an incident that helped spark a diplomatic crisis in the Gulf. Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani was falsely quoted as praising Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as speaking positively about Iran and Israel.

The UAE has previously denied a US media report on its alleged involvement in the hack.