How Cyber Gray-Ops Became the New Norm in the Middle East

Cyber-enabled information operations in the Gulf, such as the one that seemingly spurred the ongoing feud between Qatar and its neighbors, represent the gray line between open conflict and backchannel disagreements that have proven difficult to respond to, according to experts who spoke at an event Wednesday co-hosted by The Cipher Brief and the Qatar-America Institute. Influence operations are an age-old tactic, but coupled with digital technology, they can uniquely lend privileged access to key communities, plausible deniability and a global audience.

• The crisis began to unfold on June 4 when Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates abruptly severed diplomatic ties with Qatar, citing Doha’s alleged support for Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as for U.S. designated terrorist groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, al Qaeda, and ISIS, and subsequently implemented an air, land and sea blockade.
• On June 23, Qatar received a list of 13 onerous demands that it must meet to normalize relations with the four Arab nations. Qatar responded with counter provisions, and since then Kuwait has taken a proactive role in serving as a mediator between Qatar and its neighbors.

But while the public-facing diplomatic fallout began in early June, a subtle cyber-enabled information operation may have intentionally ignited the tensions days earlier.