Cyble Report Highlights Ransomware, Access Sales and Vulnerability Risks in Qatar
Summary
Cyble’s Qatar threat-landscape findings describe concentrated ransomware activity, underground sales of access to financial and retail organizations, education-sector data leaks, and exploitation of remote-access products.
Key points
- Cyble says Qilin accounted for nearly all observed ransomware activity in Qatar during the 2025 reporting period; several groups were active in 2026 to date.
- Compromised access listings tied to Qatar disproportionately involved financial services and retail organizations.
- Education was the sector most frequently affected by recorded data breaches and leaks, often involving personal information.
- Exploitation activity rose for remote-access products from Microsoft, Fortinet, Ivanti and Citrix.
- The article describes hacktivism as low-volume and largely tied to geopolitical messaging.
- Qatar has data-protection requirements and is strengthening cybersecurity and industrial-control-system initiatives.
Article Details
- Publisher
- Cyble
- Report Period
- 2025-26
- Scope
- Cyber threat landscape affecting Qatar, including ransomware, underground-market access listings, data breaches, vulnerability exploitation, and hacktivism.
- Key Statistics
- According to Cyble’s Qatar Threat Landscape Report 2025, Qilin accounted for essentially all observed ransomware activity in Qatar during the reported period.
- In 2026 to date, The Gentleman, Everest, Crypto24, and Payload were reported to share Qatar’s observed ransomware activity.
- BFSI and retail organizations accounted for more than half of confirmed underground-market listings for compromised access tied to Qatar.
- Recommendations
- Use region-specific threat intelligence to identify threats and targeting relevant to Qatar.
- Monitor underground markets for compromised access tied to local organizations.
- Prioritize timely remediation of exploited vulnerabilities in enterprise remote-access and edge infrastructure.
- Strengthen breach management and compliance programs.
- Improve threat-intelligence sharing and visibility into what is being sold, exploited, and targeted in the region.
People
Dhanish KhanCyble representative scheduled to attend CYSEC Qatar and discuss regional threat intelligence.Feras JbrahCyble representative scheduled to attend CYSEC Qatar and discuss regional threat intelligence.Mandar PatilCyble representative scheduled to attend CYSEC Qatar and discuss regional threat intelligence.Reshma NairCyble representative scheduled to attend CYSEC Qatar and discuss regional threat intelligence.
Threat Actors
Crypto24Named as a ransomware group sharing Qatar’s observed ransomware activity in 2026 to date.EverestNamed as a ransomware group sharing Qatar’s observed ransomware activity in 2026 to date.PayloadNamed as a ransomware group sharing Qatar’s observed ransomware activity in 2026 to date.QilinIdentified as a ransomware group responsible for essentially all observed ransomware activity in Qatar during the period covered by Cyble’s 2025 report.The GentlemanNamed as a ransomware group sharing Qatar’s observed ransomware activity in 2026 to date.
Vendors
CitrixProducts from Microsoft, Fortinet, Ivanti, and Citrix — the tools that underpin remote access and enterprise connectivity almost everywhere in Qatar’s public and private sector — saw a surge in exploitation activity.FortinetProducts from Microsoft, Fortinet, Ivanti, and Citrix — the tools that underpin remote access and enterprise connectivity almost everywhere in Qatar’s public and private sector — saw a surge in exploitation activity.IvantiProducts from Microsoft, Fortinet, Ivanti, and Citrix — the tools that underpin remote access and enterprise connectivity almost everywhere in Qatar’s public and private sector — saw a surge in exploitation activity.MicrosoftProducts from Microsoft, Fortinet, Ivanti, and Citrix — the tools that underpin remote access and enterprise connectivity almost everywhere in Qatar’s public and private sector — saw a surge in exploitation activity.
Countries
Industries
EducationEducation has become a quiet leak point.EnergySmart infrastructure, cloud-first government services, a financial sector that’s increasingly API-driven, and critical energy assets like QatarEnergy’s LNG operations layering more connected OT/ICS systems every year.Financial ServicesFinancial services and retail are the prime targets for access brokers.RetailFinancial services and retail are the prime targets for access brokers.