SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) — Just like Olympic athletes, cyber warriors are essential to the success of the Olympics. Paris Games We are training hard for the big event.
They have come to rely on friendly hackers to probe their cyber defenses, much like boxers who rely on sparring partners in preparation for a championship fight. They studied and analyzed their opponents' strengths, tactics, and weaknesses. They could be anyone from a teenage showboat or a ransomware gang to Russian military hackers. Achievements A malicious cyber attack.
But unlike the 10,500 Olympic athletes who will gather in the French capital in July, the cybersecurity engineers behind the Games prefer to stay out of the spotlight. For them, the equivalent of a medal is completing the Olympic and Paralympic Games without any major accidents. That will mean their digital defense layers will withstand attempts to cripple the computers and information systems essential to the tournament.
“My dream for the Olympics is that technology and cybersecurity aren't talked about, because that means it's not an issue,” said Jeremy Couture, head of the Paris Games organizers' cybersecurity hub. . Event organizers keep its location a secret because its work to discover, analyze and respond to cyber threats is so sensitive and critical to the success of the Games.
Those responsible for preventing cyberattacks during the Games are reluctant to reveal many details of their work, but malicious hackers are sure to keep them busy this summer. They can range from cybercriminals to thrill-seeking teenage troublemakers to Russian military intelligence agents with a track record of damaging cyberattacks.
The target is not just the Games themselves, but also infrastructure essential to the Games, such as transportation networks and supply chains.
Attackers can include “hacktivists” looking to make a political statement or cyber extortionists bent on making money. And these days, things like this often happen: It's hard to spot a hacktivist From those posing as state-sponsored cyber operators.
Among the most threatening cyber adversaries are countries seeking to embarrass and impose costs on France and the International Olympic Committee with their proven offensive hacking chops. At the top of the list of suspects is Russia.
for Russia's war continues in UkraineOlympic organizers have banned team competitions at the Paris Games, allowing only some Russian individuals Participate as a neutral. Russia is also negotiating with France regarding arms supplies to Ukraine. military exercises And since it became that one of Moscow's fiercest critics In Europe.
Vincent Strubel, head of France's National Cyber Security Agency, known by its French acronym ANSSI, said the level of cyber threats facing the Games was unprecedented.
“There will be cyberattacks during the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Strubel said at a press conference on Friday. “Some people won't take it seriously. Some of them are serious, but they won't affect the Olympics. And there are probably some serious ones that could affect the Olympics. ”
He said things will go well because authorities are “extremely” better trained than ever. “I think we were able to stay one step ahead of the offensive line.”
Strubel cited Russia as an actor attacking France “somewhat repeatedly” but said there was no point in focusing on any one actor. “We are prepared for anything.”
A particularly aggressive unit of Russia's GRU military intelligence called Sandworm has been accused by the West of using malware called “Olympic Destroyer” to disrupt the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. It has been criticized by many countries.This is the same unit that is being accused of the so-called crime. Wiper attacks on the Ukrainian power grid and NotPetya in 2017 A virus that caused more than $10 billion in damage worldwide.
The Paris cybersecurity team has sought to learn from these experiences, consulting with engineers who also worked in Pyeongchang.
Sweden-based cybersecurity firm Outpost24 gave an extensive assessment of Paris' preparations in a report this week, but said its investigation still found flaws in the tournament's online infrastructure. The evaluation was “I can't say it's a gold medal, but it's definitely a silver medal.''
“Just as pickpockets and ticket touts are targeting tourist groups, cybercriminals are aware of the increased online traffic leading up to the 2024 Paris Games and are looking to take advantage of it.” says the report.
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AP Technology Writer Frank Bajak in Boston contributed.
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Associated Press Olympic coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-Paris-Olympic-Games
