The National Bank of Qatar QNB has been hit by a massive data breach on April 26 that exposed personal details of many of the bank’s customers in a 1.4GB file posted on social media including some of Al Jazeera staff and MI6.
The leaked 1.4GB file contains thousands of alleged transactions, credit cards details, names and passwords of QNB customers, including subfolders into folders including Al Jazeera staff accounts, members of Qatar’s ruling al-Thani family, and intelligence and defense officials.
The bank released a PR statement “Referring to social media speculation in regard to an alleged data breach, it is QNB Group policy not to comment on reports circulated via social media. QNB would like to take this opportunity to assure all concerned that there is no financial impact on our clients or the Bank.
QNB Group places the highest priority on data security and deploying the strongest measures possible to ensure the integrity of our customers’ information.
QNB is further investigating this matter in coordination with all concerned parties.”
The Qatari bank didn’t pay any attention to social media and continued posting promotions and services on Facebook and Twitter as if nothing happened.
Perhaps there’s no financial impact occurred by the data hack as QNB said in their PR statement, but is that PR statement fulfilling? Customers’ personal data (emails, photos, names, addresses, account numbers) were leaked and anyone can look into them online.
QNB customers and non-customers have many concerns and unanswered questions on social media after the disappointing statement.
Qatar National Bank customers: check if your e-mail or QID appears in the leaked files: https://t.co/6DDbjpnfRO updated v2.1 #QNBHack #QNB
— @𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙏𝙤@tech.lgbt in Mastodon (@ChaToX) April 29, 2016
Hackers mistakenly associated my profile with an MI6 agent – call me 008.
#qnbhack https://t.co/EATOLldobJ
— Doug MacDonald (@dougmacdonald) April 27, 2016
Not great that the leak happened, and @QNBGroup's post-leak response has been even more disappointing #QNBHack
— Kamil C (@kchoudhu) April 27, 2016
