In a significant cyber escalation, the hacker collective ‘Indian Cyber Force’ has taken credit for a sophisticated cyber attack on Qatar’s key government e-commerce systems, reportedly culminating in the defacement of an official online portal.
The hacker collective acknowledged orchestrating the digital strike on Qatar’s government portal, substantiating their claim with a screenshot showing the portal’s message stating it was “temporarily down.”
Captured from a Telegram channel regarding the incident, the screenshot displayed the message: “This site can’t be reached. The web page at https://ecommerce.gov.qa/ might be temporarily down, or it may have moved permanently to a news web address. Qatar Ecommerce Government Website has been taken down.”
As of now, there’s no official confirmation validating the reported cyberattack on the Qatar Government Portal, leaving the hackers’ claims unverified.
Cyberattack on Qatar Government Portal
The Indian Cyber Force has stated on the dark web that their cyberattack on the Qatar government portal lasted for a duration of two hours. They also shared a check host link.
Additionally, the Indian Cyber Force has escalated its cyber attacks, compromising and defacing oasis.qa—a leading Qatari online shopping platform—as well as the online services of Al Anees, a well-known retail chain in Qatar, subsequent to their assault on the nation’s government e-commerce site.
The spate of cyberattacks targeting multiple Qatari websites is thought to be retaliatory. This comes after the Qatar government’s controversial decision to impose the death penalty on eight ex-Indian Navy officers residing in Qatar, citing espionage allegations.
Qatar Government ecommerce portal cyberattack is not the first cyber siege of the Indian Cyber Force. We have previously reported their cyberattacks on the websites and systems of organizations based in China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Indonesia.
The Indian Cyber Force has also previously launched the controversial “OpCanada”. It had hacked and defaced Canadian websites under this cyberattack operation.
The cyberattack on Qatar government e-commerce portal serves as a stark reminder that in our increasingly interconnected world, even nations with robust cybersecurity measures are not immune to cyberattacks.
In the evolving landscape, governments and organizations must remain vigilant to protect their digital assets from such cyber threats. In an era where a single cyber attack can have significant implications, the stakes are high, and the need for effective cybersecurity measures has never been more critical.
Media Disclaimer: This report is based on internal and external research obtained through various means. The information provided is for reference purposes only, and users bear full responsibility for their reliance on it. The Cyber Express assumes no liability for the accuracy or consequences of using this information.
