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A recent study by ExtraHop has highlighted the near inevitability of ransomware attacks targeting the Paris 2024 Olympics. The event’s IT infrastructure has faced frequent attacks over the past year, resulting in ransom payments totaling $2 million.
Key Challenges:
- Event Scale: The Paris 2024 Olympics will host over 15,000 athletes competing in 54 sports, drawing millions of visitors and exerting immense pressure on IT systems.
- Past Experience: Cisco, the official security partner for Paris 2024, previously secured the Tokyo 2020 Games, which experienced over 450 million cyber-attacks, underscoring the magnitude of the threat.
Recent Trends:
- Rising Attacks: Cybersecurity firm Cyble reported a surge in attacks on French Olympic websites between June and July 2024.
- Identified Threat Actors: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has identified two Russian-speaking hacking groups, “People’s Cyber Army” and “HackNet,” as perpetrators of recent breaches.
- Types of Attacks: The attacks have included ransomware and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks aimed at disrupting the event.
Future Threats:
- Sophistication Increase: Experts predict that future attacks will employ more sophisticated methods, including phishing, social engineering, and advanced technologies such as Generative AI and deepfake techniques.
Defense Measures:
- Cyber Troop: The IOC has assembled a specialized Cyber Troop of 15 military and civilian cybersecurity experts working around the clock.
- COJOP Support: This team is part of the larger 3,000-member COJOP staff dedicated to protecting France’s critical infrastructure.
- ANSSI Reinforcement: Additional support from ANSSI and other French state agencies bolsters the Cybersecurity Operations Center, ensuring robust defenses.
Operational Timeline:
- Active Defense: Both the Cyber Troop and COJOP support teams will remain active until the conclusion of the Olympics and Paralympics on September 8, 2024, after which their operations will be scaled down.
