Riyadh claims to be target of ‘advanced’ cyber-attack

By Ahmed al-Masri

DOHA, Qatar

Saudi Arabia’s National Cyber Security Center said Monday that it had “detected” an “advanced” cyber-attack targeting the kingdom.

In a tweet, the Interior Ministry-affiliated security center said the attack had involved the use of “PowerShell control software”.

It went on to note that it had informed the “relevant state agencies” of the apparent attack and had issued several recommendations regarding appropriate counter-measures.

"The Interior Ministry has foiled many organized cyber-attacks in the past targeting various [Saudi] government agencies and vital installations," the statement read.

It added: "Internal warnings allowed us to thwart these attacks, all of which ultimately failed to achieve their objectives."

The security center provided no further details regarding the reported attack, its source, or which state agencies had been targeted.

The Saudi Cyber ​​Security Center is considered one of the kingdom’s most advanced facilities. It is tasked with assessing electronic threats to the kingdom and responding to perceived cyber-attacks at the national level.