Olympics vulnerable to malicious cyber threats, high risk of attacks

TLDR:

– The Paris Olympics are facing a serious risk of malicious cyber activity

– Cybersecurity company WithSecure warns of potential attacks from criminal and nation-state threat actors with various objectives and capabilities

The Olympic Games are set to begin next week in Paris and cybersecurity company WithSecure is cautioning that they are facing a greater risk of cyberattack than ever before due to current geopolitical uncertainty. With potential attacks from criminal and nation-state threat actors, the Olympics are at risk of various objectives and capabilities.

Tim West, director of threat intelligence and outreach at WithSecure, believes that hacktivists aligned with pro-Russia states will likely attempt to disrupt the Olympics in some way. Opportunities for cyber attacks can range from fraudulent ticket sales to targeting organizers and sponsors. Host nation France is aware of the prestige of hosting the Olympics, but successful cyberattacks could diminish that prestige.

The report highlights that Russian state-sponsored activity poses a moderate to high threat, as demonstrated by past attacks targeting the games. Despite the challenges, West notes that defenders will be well-equipped and will learn from past Olympics to enhance cybersecurity measures.