Al Jazeera condemns series of cyberattacks against its services

The Qatar-based network says all hacking attempts seeking to ‘access, disrupt and control’ some of its news platforms and websites were thwarted.

The headquarters of Al Jazeera Media Network, in Doha, Qatar [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]
Al Jazeera said its service provider was able to monitor and fend off the hacking attacks [File: Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]

Al Jazeera Media Network has condemned a series of cyberattacks this week against its services, saying it reserved the right to take legal action against those involved.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Qatar-based network said the attackers tried to “access, disrupt and control” some of its news platforms and websites.

All hacking attempts between June 5 and June 8 were monitored and thwarted, it added.

Al Jazeera said the majority of the attacks took place on the evening of June 6, before the television screening of In the Grip of the Resistance, an episode of Al Jazeera Arabic’s Ma Khafia Atham (What is Hidden is Greater) documentary series.

“Al Jazeera condemns these cyberattacks and affirms its right to pursue legal recourse against the perpetrators,” the network’s statement said.

“Such attacks only increase Al Jazeera’s resolve to continue its bold and exemplary journalism,” it added.

Al Jazeera launched its first broadcast as an Arabic-language satellite channel from Doha in 1996.

It has since expanded into a media network with several outlets, including television channels, websites and other digital platforms in multiple languages.

Source: Al Jazeera