DOHA // Qatari authorities have restored several government websites attacked by hackers from the Syrian Electronic Army, which supports President Bashar Al Assad’s regime, local media reported on Sunday.
Qatar’s Supreme Council of Information and Technology (ictQatar) said in a statement carried by local media that it has “recovered all government websites hacked on Saturday”.
It said it was ready to “deal with any similar future operations”.
No financial losses were caused by the hacking that targeted websites with the “gov.qa” domain name, local media quoted ictQatar as saying on Twitter.
The Qatari interior ministry’s page was among the websites hit. But the ministry said on Twitter that data registered on the website was not affected.
Hackers who claim to support Mr Assad, collectively known as the Syrian Electronic Army, have targeted high-profile websites in recent months, including one belonging to the US marines and the New York Times’s page.
Qatar, along with Saudi Arabia, has openly supported rebels battling Mr Assad’s regime since an uprising against his rule broke out in March 2011.
* Agence France-Presse
