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There are predictions that the upcoming Olympic Games faces an ‘unprecedented threat’ from cyberattacks, from both financially and politically motivated attackers.
As we race towards the Paris Olympics 2024, cybersecurity experts have issued warnings about the looming, “widespread” threat of cyberattacks during the event.
The Olympic Games have been a tempting target for cyberattackers over the years, presenting opportunities for politically or financially motivated threat actors. Previous Olympic Games have faced attacks – security teams claim they saw 450m attempted cyberattacks at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
But a recent report by the International Data Corporation (IDC) claims that Paris 2024 will see the largest number of threats, the largest ecosystem of threat actors and “the highest degree of ease for threat actors to execute attacks”.
The IDC claims that Paris 2024 will be the most connected Olympic Games in history, presenting numerous targets for cyberattackers such as financial systems and critical infrastructure. The busy nature of the event can also create vulnerabilities in security, according to IDC research manager of European security services Richard Thurston.
“Cybercriminals are leveraging global sporting events like the Olympic Games to craft new targeted threats to businesses and citizens, knowing that their target is often distracted and more prone to social engineering,” Thurston said.
In the report, Thurston predicted that there will be an “unprecedented level of threats” during the Paris Olympics and these threats will target both the games themselves and “unrelated organisations”.
“The threat extends to a wide range of potential targets beyond the Olympic infrastructure itself, including things like fixed and mobile networks in Paris, transportation infrastructure and companies, hotels and the leisure industry, and financial networks,” he said.
“Organisations can expect threat actors to deploy a full array of tactics, techniques and procedures, such as ransomware and data exfiltration, exploiting application vulnerabilities, social engineering, tailored phishing attacks and denial-of-service attempts aimed at taking down online services.”
The IDC noted that French authorities are taking measures to protect the games from cyberattacks. The organisation estimates that revenue from cybersecurity services in France will increase by €86m in 2024 as a result of the Olympic Games, a national increase of more than 2pc.
Ample threats and ample defences
The warning by the IDC was mirrored by cybersecurity company WithSecure, which said in a new report that Paris 2024 faces a greater cybersecurity threat than any previous Olympic Games.
WithSecure warns that cyberattackers will try to exploit the global focus on the event, through activities such as the fraudulent sales of fake tickets or free tour notifications. The report also noted how the large global focus makes it a prime target for politically motivated threat actors.
The report lists potential threats from politically motivated hackers and cybercrime groups from countries such as Russia, China, Iran and North Korea. The report details the capabilities and possible objectives of each of these countries, along with the threat of organised criminal groups and hacktivists – hackers that launch cyberattacks out of political or social motivations.
“Hacktivists aligned with states that are pro-Russia will almost certainly try to disrupt the Olympics in some way,” said Tim West, WithSecure director of threat intelligence and outreach. “We assess that the level of threat these groups pose to the Olympics is moderate.”
Despite these risks, the WithSecure report also highlights the cybersecurity efforts of France and believes the threat to the Olympic Games themselves from state-sponsored cyberattackers is low.
“There are numerous threats to the Olympics, with varying levels of motivation and capabilities, and a successful cybersecurity operation will be a great challenge for the Olympic authorities,” West said. “This being said, the defenders will also be well-equipped and will be able to take advantage of the lessons learned from past Olympics.”
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