Amidst the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, security specialists have observed a notable increase in cyberattacks aimed at France in the lead-up to the Paris Olympic Games. In fact, these cyber campaigns have been orchestrated by Russia.
A comprehensive analysis conducted by Google’s subsidiary Mandiant highlights an escalated threat from Russian cyber operations, spurred by France’s continued economic and military backing of Ukraine following Russia’s invasion in early 2022. Mandiant identifies Russian cyber groups as presenting the most substantial security risk to the Games.
These groups conduct disinformation campaigns aimed at spreading fear among potential visitors. They create fake videos and news that circulate on social media to sow panic and convince people to refrain from visiting events due to possible terrorist threats.
According to Tim West, director at WithSecure (formerly known as F-Secure Business), the Paris Olympics are poised to confront a higher degree of malicious cyber activities compared to past iterations of the Games, fueled by the heightened geopolitical tensions stemming from the Ukrainian crisis.
The phenomenon of “hacktivism,” particularly by Russian groups, is anticipated to significantly disrupt the Olympic events. West underscores that Russia possesses the sophisticated ability to coordinate human and cyber resources effectively, targeting a broad array of network types.
Research from FortiGuard Labs has detected a surge in hacktivist operations by Russian entities such as LulzSec, Storm-1679, noname057, Cyber Army Russia Reborn, Cyber Dragon, and Dragonforce, explicitly aimed at the Olympic Games. These groups are likely to focus their attacks on infrastructure, media outlets, and affiliated organizations, with the intent to disrupt the event, tarnish its credibility, and amplify their political messages globally.
These attacks, driven by political and financial motives, often target data from participants, spectators, and sponsors. In preparation for the Paris Games, there has been a significant uptick in cyber activities aimed at French-speaking individuals, government entities, businesses, and infrastructure providers.
Ignoring the Russian threat at the Olympic Games will lead to serious consequences for Europe. Potential disruptions in energy, transportation, and communications will hinder the event and have long-term consequences for the economy and security of the region.
Economic damage from deterring tourists and investors due to a lack of trust in security at the Olympics could be significant. Cyberattacks also pose a threat to national security as they can be used for espionage and gathering sensitive data.
Overall, these factors will negatively impact the reputation of the host country. Underestimating the threat could have negative consequences for the stability, economy, and security of Europe.
