The 2024 Olympic Games began in Paris today. But while the City of Lights opens its doors to millions of spectators, those in charge are preparing for a cyber war.
Analysts assume that there will be up to four billion cyber attacks at this year's games. The official app for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris is particularly vulnerable.
“This app processes large amounts of personal and transaction data, making it a prime target for cybercriminals,” said Sakthi Mohan, head of cloud security at California-based Synopsys Software Integrity Group.
The Paris Olympics app has been downloaded over 10 million times on Google Play. It gives users access to a map of the games, the schedule, live updates, replays and more. The app also collects your personal information, including name, address, email, photos and videos.
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Organizers have called it “your personal companion to the Games.” For hackers, that’s exactly the appeal.
“Malicious actors could try to exploit vulnerabilities in the app for financial, political or other malicious purposes,” said Kelvin Lim, senior director at Synopsys.
As early as 2022, an audit of the mandatory app for the Beijing Winter Olympics found that hackers could easily Bypass encryption Protection – Disclosure of sensitive health data or passport details.
Large events that attract many people to one place at the same time can become a real battle campaign for cybercriminals.
Last month, hackers stole the personal information of 560 million Ticketmaster customers worldwide. The cyber villains stole names, addresses, phone numbers and even credit card numbers.
“The break was a wake-up call for sporting event organisers,” Lim said.
The French cybersecurity agency ANSSI has put together a 630-strong cyber team to prepare for hacker attacks during the Olympic Games in Paris. Cybersecurity firm Cisco Systems France and the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency are providing support services, Bloomberg Reports.
The cyber dream team is expected to face threats ranging from phishing scams and spoofing attacks to distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks that could disrupt critical services. The Olympics' systems and apps, as well as nearby stores, banks and government agencies, are all in the crosshairs.
Geopolitical tensions increase cyber risks at the Paris Olympic Games
Russian hackers represent the biggest cyber threat, according to recent reports from three cybersecurity companies, including Google's Mandiant.
Last month, a Russian hacktivist group called People's Cyber Army launched DDoS attacks on several French websites. The group claimed responsibility for the attacks and said they were a “drill” in preparation for a large-scale siege during the Paris Olympics.
The Olympic Games have been hacked before. The 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea involved hackers with links to Russian intelligence services. the online ticket system disrupted and interrupt the Wi-Fi in the stadium during the opening ceremony.
Russia and Belarus were barred from participating in the Paris Olympics due to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, making the situation even more unstable.
“State-sponsored actors pose a significant risk. They aim to use cyber operations for espionage, destabilization or to gain a competitive advantage,” Mohan said.
“Given geopolitical tensions and the emergence of AI-powered cyber threats, the cybersecurity landscape for the Paris Olympic Games is more complex than ever.”
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