Learn More About Cyber Threats Targeting the Olympics
Paris 2024 CISO Details Cybersecurity Plans for the Games
Escalating Cyber Threats Target Paris 2024 Olympics
As global attention turns to France for the 2024 Olympics, a shadowy battle in cyberspace is intensifying.
Cybercriminals are ready to exploit this international event, with the Paris Games anticipating an “unprecedented” level of cyber threats.
With 15,000 athletes competing in 878 Olympic and Paralympic events across 54 sports, the Paris 2024 Olympics expects to sell over 13 million tickets and attract more than 15 million spectators.
Cisco, an official partner for both the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Games, reported 450 million cyber-attacks during the Tokyo Olympics, predicting an eightfold increase for Paris.
Infosecurity consulted various threat intelligence reports and interviewed analysts to identify the top cyber threats facing the 2024 Olympics.
We also spoke with the French cybersecurity agency (ANSSI) and Franz Regul, the Paris 2024 CISO, about the extensive four-year cybersecurity preparations by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and French authorities.
Additionally, we explored the support options for organizations in France to mitigate these Olympic-related cyber threats.
Anticipated Cyber Threats for the Olympics
Franz Regul, CISO of the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee (COJOP), expressed caution about predicting the number of cyber-attacks, noting the blurred lines between various cyber incidents. However, he affirmed, “We will be attacked.”
Jack Chapman, SVP of threat intelligence at KnowBe4’s Egress, suggested that Cisco’s figures might be inflated regarding malicious campaigns but reasonable if considering individual network breach attempts.
Key Cyber Threats to the Paris Olympics
Amidst heightened geopolitical tensions, the Paris Olympics faces increased risks from cyber espionage, disruptive operations, financially-motivated attacks, hacktivism, and information warfare.
Most analysts downplayed the threat of nation-state destructive attacks like those seen at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics and Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics.
Hacktivism at the Olympics
Richard Cassidy, CISO at Rubrik, indicated that political groups, not necessarily state-backed but aligned with state interests, are preparing to disrupt the Games. Early July 2024 reports from Cyble noted trial DDoS attacks on French websites by Russian hacktivist groups “People’s Cyber Army” and “HackNeT.”
FortiGuard Labs observed an 80-90% increase in dark web activity targeting French organizations in the second quarter of 2024.
Financially Motivated Threat Actors
Financially motivated attackers are also gearing up for the Games. Cassidy expects sophisticated phishing and social engineering campaigns, potentially using generative AI for deep fake schemes. Chapman anticipates QR code targeting, ubiquitous in Paris over the summer.
Mandiant and Palo Alto’s Unit42 warn that Russian threat groups pose the highest risk, with moderate to low risks from China, Iran, and North Korea.
Paris 2024 Cybersecurity Apparatus
Franz Regul emphasized that the modern Olympics are “primarily technology events,” requiring robust digital security. After four years of setting up the Games’ network infrastructure with Cisco and Atos’ Eviden, Regul’s cybersecurity team, supported by thousands of volunteers, ensures IT systems’ security.
The French government, through ANSSI, coordinates cybersecurity efforts across various sectors. ANSSI has expanded its staff and collaborates with a military task force, the National Cyber Unit (UNCyber), to protect the Games.
A Five-Pillar Cyber Strategy
ANSSI’s cybersecurity strategy for the Olympics includes:
- Enhancing cyber threat intelligence
- Securing critical IT infrastructure
- Protecting sensitive data
- Raising cyber risk awareness
- Preparing for incident response
A 24/7 cybersecurity operations center (CSOC) is central to this effort, staffed by rotating COJOP members and remote workers.
Focus on 700 Organizations
ANSSI, CNSJ, and the Ministry of the Interior identified 700 organizations for support, divided into three categories:
- Critical entities for Olympic operations
- Sensitive infrastructure operators
- Organizations associated with the Games or France
Critical entities receive system audits and technical support, while sensitive entities benefit from a €10.1m cybersecurity support program. Awareness-raising campaigns and automatic auditing tools are provided for other organizations.
Raising Cyber Awareness
In the lead-up to the Games, ANSSI launched an awareness campaign and published a threat intelligence report on the main cyber threats to large sporting events. The agency also provides free security exercise kits and best practices for organizations.
Conclusion
The Paris 2024 cybersecurity mission extends beyond the Olympics, with Franz Regul’s team continuing their efforts even after the Games conclude. Representatives from future Olympic host cities will join the team, ensuring continuity and sharing insights for future events.
As the Paris Games approach, the dedicated cybersecurity team remains vigilant, ready to defend against a wide array of cyber threats.
