‘Based on Speculation’: Expert Questions UK Report That Blamed India-Based Hackers for Targeting Qatar World Cup Critics

A recent investigation has revealed that a group of cyber criminals have been targeting the critics of the Qatar World Cup, including a dozen lawyers, journalists and famous people since 2019.

The news, which was revealed by British journalists after The Sunday Times and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism looked into a leaked database may not appear shocking as similar incidents were reported during the Russian World Cup in 2018.

But what makes it unique is the fact that, according to the reports, the hackers are based in India.

The British newspaper and the bureau said in a statement that the hacking was “commissioned by one particular client”.

The statement also highlighted: “This investigation points strongly to this client being the host of (the) World Cup: Qatar.” However, the Qatari authorities described the allegations as “patently false and without merit”.

Though India is not known for having such cyber gangs, according to the British newspaper, a 31-year-old employee of an accounting firm based in a suburb of Gurugram is accused of being the mastermind of the hacking.

It was also stated that his network of computer hackers allegedly used “phishing” tactics to access their targets’ email accounts and occasionally used malicious software to control their computers’ cameras, as well as microphones.

According to the report, the gang targeted more than 100 victims’ private email accounts “on behalf of investigators working for autocratic states, British lawyers and their wealthy clients”.

The list of the victims of this incident includes Ghanem Nuseibeh, a London-based consultant, whose firm Cornerstone produced a report on World Cup corruption, as reported by The Sunday Times.

Additionally, the Swiss president and his deputy were also hacked.

‘Accuracy’ is a question

It was reported earlier that during the FIFA World Cup 2018, Russia prevented nearly 25 million cyber attacks and other criminal acts.

Even, according to a survey conducted by Lastline at Infosecurity Europe 2018, 72% of security professionals believed that an attack was likely during the World Cup, given that cyber criminals are increasingly targeting high-profile international events.

So, as the Qatar World Cup, will begin on November 20, security experts are expecting such cyber issues.

But one of the cybersecurity specialists raised a question about the accuracy of The Sunday Times’ report.

Sandip Kumar Panda, a veteran in the cybersecurity space & Co-Founder of Instasafe technologies, said: “The current investigative article lacks credibility and is only based on speculation of one finding.”

He said: “There is no attempt to do a thorough investigation, nor any best practices procedure followed here to find the root cause of the hacking incident, nor is there any tracing or tracking done.”

“Cybersecurity professionals or third-party agencies should investigate to get a clear picture and proof of the incident,” he added.

Citing the report, he said hackers have used phishing techniques to steal information.

Panda said the phishing technique is commonly used by hackers and doesn’t require many sophisticated tools and techniques to execute.

“This means that any hacking group can use such hacking methods by any country,” he stated while responding to whether an Indian group can do such attacks.

He also said phishing websites are exactly like the original website, where hackers usually send links to the website through email or SMS and a person fills in their details on these fake websites.

“In that case, this information gets passed on to the hacker, who uses it to commit fraud, identity theft, and other cyber crimes,” he added.

However, the expert suggested that to avoid getting trapped or hacked, it is always advisable not to click any suspicious links received through unknown sources, check the domain name of the website URL, and not provide sensitive information in case of doubt.

“Only cybersecurity awareness and consciousness can help you to stay safe,” the expert noted.

While the accuracy of the report is still a question, a Qatari official reportedly rejected the allegations.

The person described the Bureau of Investigative Journalism’s (TBIJ) report as “littered with glaring inconsistencies and falsehoods that undermine the credibility of their organisation”.

As reported, the official also said: “The report relies on a single source who claims his ultimate client was Qatar, despite there being no evidence to prove it.”

“TBIJ’s decision to publish the report without a single piece of credible evidence to connect their allegations to Qatar raises serious concerns about their motives, which appear to be driven by political, rather than public interest, reasons,” the person added.

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