Government Hackers - Olympia: Experts predict cyber attacks
The organizers of the Olympic Games in Paris must prepare for intensified Cyberattacks. This is according to a study by the renowned cybersecurity expert WithSecure from Finland. The report assumes that due to geopolitical tensions, the risk is higher compared to previous Olympic Games.
The most likely source of Cyberattacks, according to the study authors, is Russia. There are three groups motivated to disrupt the Games there. Besides state-sponsored hacker groups, private activists, and common cybercriminals are also potential attackers. State actors have the capability and intent to significantly damage the Olympic Games and France's reputation.
Not only Russia poses a threat
In Paris, athletes from Russia and Belarus can only participate as "neutral, individual athletes." They cannot have any military connections, and they are excluded from the opening ceremony. French President Emmanuel Macron is one of the most vocal critics of the Russian military campaign in the western world.
WithSecure, however, does not only see an increased risk of Cyberattacks from Russia. Other state actors like China, North Korea, and Iran, as well as other hacker groups and organized cybercriminals outside the Russian Federation, are also potential attackers.
It's not just about ransom
According to the experts' assessment, attackers could try to penetrate the organizers' networks and encrypt the data, similar to common Cyberattacks with ransomware. However, it is likely that the attackers' primary goal is not ransom. Instead, disrupting the flow of the Games is their main objective.
Private hacktivists, who typically organize themselves in Telegram channels, have specialized in so-called Denial-of-Service attacks. In this case, they flood websites with requests, causing the servers to collapse. WithSecure, however, does not only expect activists from Russia. In this area, pro-Ukrainian, pro-Palestinian, and pro-Israeli groups are also active.
The study concludes that the organizers have mainly secured the core network of the Olympic Games well. However, it is realistic to assume that hackers will be able to temporarily disrupt some network services of the Olympic Games outside the core network.
- Given the geopolitical tensions, the organizers of the Olympic Games in Paris should be prepared for intensified cyber attacks, as suggested by a study conducted by Finnish cybersecurity firm WithSecure.
- The study predicts that Russia is the most likely source of cyberattacks during the Olympic Games in Paris, with state-sponsored hacker groups, private activists, and common cybercriminals identified as potential threats.
- Although Russia poses a significant threat, other state actors, such as China, North Korea, and Iran, as well as other hacker groups and organized cybercriminals outside the Russian Federation, are also considered potential attackers, according to the study.
- The German city of Olympia, famous for its ancient Olympic Games, has a rich historical connection with the concept of the Olympic Games, but it is not directly related to the cybersecurity concerns surrounding the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.
- The city of Helsinki, Finland, is known for hosting significant international events, including the 1952 Summer Olympics, but it is not a part of the geopolitical tensions or cybersecurity concerns related to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
- Historically, Paris and Germany (formerly France) have had a complex relationship, but the current cybersecurity threats to the Olympic Games in Paris stem primarily from geopolitical tensions and the actions of various state actors and hacker groups, not from historical factors.
