This year’s Olympic Games, held in Paris, France, have attracted cybersecurity threats on an unprecedented scale. French authorities reported more than 140 cyberattacks during the event, highlighting an increasingly complex threat landscape.
As the most connected Games in history, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games – with their advanced digital technology and network infrastructure – have been a prime target for cyberattacks.
Digital threats to the Olympics symbolized patterns of global threats ranging from cyber warfare to developments in AI technologies.
In response, organizations must stay informed about these threats and ensure their cybersecurity defenses are prepared to protect against them.
AI Deepfakes: a new tool for cyber-attackers
AI has played an important role in cybersecurity, providing advanced capabilities to detect and respond to cyber threats. However, its dual use means hackers can exploit the same technology to develop more sophisticated attacks.
In 2023 aloneAI-powered ransomware attacks increased by 30%, targeting high-value organizations. Meanwhile, AI tools contributed to a 25% improvement in vulnerability identification.
While AI is a valuable asset in the fight against cyber threats, it also increases risks, highlighting the need for organizations to continually adapt and improve their cybersecurity strategy.
During the 2024 Olympic Games, AI’s use of deepfakes, including simulations of images, videos and audio, were used in “influence campaigns” aimed at disrupting events.
This deepfake content spreads false claims about match results and uses manipulated audio files to damage the reputations of coaches, athletes, teams and officials with false and inflammatory statements.
Additionally, fabricated images and videos were used to discredit competitors and potentially ban them from participation.
Against a backdrop of political and social divisions and geopolitical tensions, the use of such deepfakes has contributed to increasing international inflammation.
Russia-Ukraine War and Hacktivist Groups at the Olympics
The war between Russia and Ukraine has had a significant impact on the activity of hacktivists and threat actor groups.
Given France’s alignment with Ukraine in the Russia-Ukraine War, this has led Russian-affiliated threat actor groups, such as Storm-1679, to launch online campaigns spreading fake news and artificial intelligence videos about the Olympics on social media.
Last year, a documentary titled “Olympics Have Fallen,” narrated in a voice bearing a striking similarity to that of actor Tom Cruise, sharply criticized the leadership of the International Olympic Committee and was quickly amplified on several social networks and streaming channels.
Orange’s future is “collaborative and iterative and not generational”, says CITO
This year-long campaign to discredit the Olympics highlights new heights of psychological warfare and blurs the lines between fiction and reality, ultimately undermining the spirit of the Games.
According to a recent reportRussian actors created a fake video press release from the CIA and France’s main intelligence agency warning potential participants to stay away from the 2024 Olympics due to an alleged terrorist attack.
This disinformation campaign highlights Russia’s ongoing influence campaigns aimed at maligning the reputation of the Games and raising expectations of an outbreak of violence.
Proactive Cybersecurity Strategies for Global Events
Organizational managers should conduct comprehensive audits of their systems to help them identify and remediate weaknesses in IT systems and infrastructure that could be exploited by cyberattacks.
This proactive approach reduces the risk of successful breaches or disruptions during gaming.
Likewise, training staff is essential to inform them about common cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities, help them recognize potential threats, and equip them with the skills to quickly manage cybersecurity incidents.
Ensuring secure communications during major events like the Olympics is essential to secure communications, protect against data theft, and ensure consistent security across different venues.
If possible, it is best to avoid public Wi-Fi networks and encrypt Internet traffic on public networks. By adding an additional layer of security, organizers can better protect critical systems and data, ensuring the integrity and smooth running of the event.
Benefits and risks: the dual role of AI in cybersecurity
While AI has revolutionized the cybersecurity landscape by providing advanced threat detection and response tools, it also presents significant challenges.
The use of AI to develop sophisticated cyberattacks, such as deepfake campaigns, highlights the dual use of the technology.
The incidents surrounding the Paris 2024 Olympic Games highlight the potential for AI-driven disinformation to cause widespread disruption, incite conflict and further complicate the cybersecurity landscape.
To stay ahead of such attacks, organizations must stay abreast of global events, ensuring they are protected against malicious actors operating throughout their supply chain with a proactive approach.
Discover some of the technologies used at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games by watching our exclusive interview with Bertrang Rojat from Orangein charge of connectivity during games, below.
