Jun 8, 2017

Al Jazeera hit with cyberattack

Kamran Jebreili / AP

Al-Jazeera reported Thursday that their "websites and digital platforms" in Doha were under intense cyberattacks of "various forms." However, the platforms were not compromised.

Why it matters: Q-CERT, Qatar's government-sponsored organization responsible for protecting Al-Jazeera and other outlets from cyber attacks, has twice in the past month failed to prevent hacks on news agencies in the country. A successful hack on Qatar News Agency in late May 2017 falsely quoted the ruler of Qatar as voicing support for Iran, and reportedly helped spark a diplomatic crisis.

Timeline:

May 23: Fake report with pro-Iran statements briefly posted on Qatar News Agency, the country's state-sponsored news agency.

June 5: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and other Gulf States cut ties with Qatar for various reasons.

June 7: Confirmation that Qatar News Agency was hacked.

June 8: Al-Jazeera's network faces cyberattack.

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