Upcoming Paris Olympics. - Digital assaults and false reports loom over Paris Olympics.
Security warnings toward the summer Olympics in Paris from experts are concerning: mass attempts to generate fear toward visitors about terror and other dangers, tarnish the event's reputation, and disrupt its progression are predicted - even potentially attacks. Such destabilization efforts are already underway in France, linked to Russia.
President Emmanuel Macron previously mentioned that Russia "certainly" would interfere with the games through various means. France's security forces have been readying for these threats for a long time.
Microsoft's Threat Analysis Center released a recent report featuring two Russian online platforms, "Storm-1679" and "Storm-1099," that have been spreading false info about the Paris Olympics for over a year. A movie titled "Olympics Have Fallen," suggesting imminent violence, has been circulated, prompting fear among visitors. Russian propaganda also illustrates dangerous situations for Israeli athletes at the games due to the Gaza conflict. Microsoft details that fake graffiti has been distributed, implying a replay of the Munich Olympic Terror from 1972 against Jewish athletes in Paris. Macron portrayed as indifferent to social issues in the manipulated news headlines.
Russian influence on the Olympics dates back to the Soviet era, says Microsoft. "Their goal is to undermine the international sports competition in the minds of participants, spectators, and the general public, to defame and discredit it."
Russian hackers are also a concern, as Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin are angry about being potentially excluded from the games. Moscow denies the accusations. In an official stance from Russia's embassy in Paris, they described the claims as "Russophobic disinformation in the French press." Russia has other priorities and does not meddle in France's internal affairs.
Intelligence company Recorded Future also named Iran and Azerbaijan as state actors causing potential threats to the Olympics. Azerbaijan targets the Games due to France's support for Armenia in the region's conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. Recorded Future anticipates cyberattacks in connection with the Ukraine War and Middle East conflict, as activists try to take advantage of the global attention paid to the Olympics. Groups with Iranian government connections are capable of carrying out severe hacker attacks.
Another risk associated with the Paris Olympics is the potential targeting of the event by the attachés of the Islamic State (IS) and Al-Qaida in Europe. However, due to increased security measures, high terror alerts, and rigorous preventive measures, successful attacks are less likely.
The French authorities have been planning for the Olympic Games' dangers, particularly cyber threats, for some time. In 2020, the national cybersecurity agency ANSSI created a strategy to counteract these attacks and protect key members and systems. The strategy also involves reacting swiftly to specific assaults during the games. The French government in Paris confirmed these measures.
