Google Issues Warning Over Russian Hackers Interfering With Olympics

According to cybersecurity experts, Russian hackers are gearing up to derail the Paris Olympics. Anyone from state leaders to fans might be a target. Mandiant, a cybersecurity company that is a Google subsidiary, has identified an increased danger of cyber threat activity. The greatest danger comes from Russian state-sponsored attackers. The danger posed by hackers based in North Korea, Iran, and China is also minimal.

The Olympics are a perfect platform for disruptive cyber attacks, resulting in severe psychological impacts and reputational harm.  The Games are vulnerable to a wide range of cyber threats, including espionage, assaults with disruptive and destructive capabilities, and intrusions with financial motives. It is believed that Russian hackers would use the event as a cover to collect information on high-ranking officials from other countries. Cybercriminals may use such events as an opportunity to steal personal information and sell tickets to unsuspecting visitors. The worst case scenario is that the Paris Games are disrupted due to a widespread damaging assault, such as the use of wiper software, which erases data on target networks.

As a swift reaction to what the organization saw as Russia’s flagrant breach of the Olympic Charter in its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the International Olympic Committee barred the country from competing. It is still possible for athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate while flying a neutral flag.

Mandiant claims that state-sponsored Russian hackers compromised Olympic authorities’ networks in 2020 and exposed athlete data during the 2016 and 2018 Games.

Given France’s strong stance in favor of Ukraine after Russia’s invasion, these games are ripe targets for hackers driven by geopolitics, and France itself is a prime target.

According to Mandiant, the number of Olympic-affiliated groups that have perused research and are seeking to address the dangers that are most pressing for them is quite encouraging. Businesses are realizing that taking a proactive approach to security begins with identifying relevant risks.