For one reason or another, the Olympics and hackers have become nearly inseparable, with cybercriminals loving the Games just as much as the casual sports fan.
The 2018 Pyeongchang games started off with a massive cyber-attack that those watching at home may not have been aware of. The attack, forged by an unidentified hacker (presumably either Russia or North Korea), caused internet protocol TVs to malfunction at the main press center. Organizers countered the intrusion by shutting down the games’ servers to prevent additional damage.
With the Olympics servers offline, Wi-Fi at the Olympic Stadium went dark and the official website went down, preventing attendees from printing tickets to events. The opening ceremony was supposed to feature drones filming the spectacle from above, but those aircraft were unable to deploy because of the breach.
The source of the cyber-attack was never officially revealed, though organizers and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) clearly have an idea of who orchestrated it. Still, they have refused to point a finger publicly, instead citing poor international cyber best-practices as the broader issue.
Why the Olympics and Hackers Keep Crossing Paths
The Olympics are a high-profile international event with a concentrated number of visitors spending money, which is precisely why the Olympics and hackers are a recurring headline. Any gathering that puts millions of dollars, thousands of dignitaries, and a global media audience in the same place is going to attract bad actors.
This year’s Games carry an added political twist, with the involvement of North Korea increasing diplomatic tension and, by extension, the motivation for state-sponsored intrusions. The IOC also holds a host of confidential information on its servers — including details on athletes and doping test results — while executing malware attacks on casual fans through click-bait materials can be equally lucrative to criminal hackers.
Some hackers show up with a political agenda. Others simply see an opportunity to extract information from several people at once. In the case of the opening ceremony hack, the aim was to disrupt the games and embarrass both the home country and the IOC — a textbook example of why the Olympics and hackers make headlines together year after year.
How Does the IOC Address Cyber Attacks?
Improving cyber security measures at the games has been a top priority for the IOC, as breaches have caused several very public issues in the past. The Pyeongchang games were the latest victims, but the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Summer Olympics were also impacted by intrusion attempts and hacks that disclosed personal data of athletes.
Increased connectivity and the use of newer technology has made the Olympics more vulnerable than ever before. Attacks can now be orchestrated to impact stadium operations, critical infrastructure, global broadcasts, participants, and visitors in the host country — essentially every touchpoint of the event.
The IOC is utilizing a hybrid cloud model to support the games, with all critical IT systems hosted on Atos. The organization is integrating modern IoT, big data, AI, and cloud technologies into front-end and back-end systems, creating a lot of moving parts to keep track of. More connected systems means more potential entry points, which is why the relationship between the Olympics and hackers continues to evolve with every cycle.
It is obvious that the IOC and its partners are taking the necessary measures to prevent future attacks from crippling the games, but they will not comment on specific steps they are taking to protect their digital infrastructure — a sensible posture, since publicizing defensive playbooks would only give the next attacker a head start.
What Small Businesses Can Learn From the Olympics and Hackers
The lesson from the Olympics and hackers isn’t just that the Games are vulnerable — it’s that every organization is. While the Olympics are a large-scale, global event, sophisticated cybercriminals are apt to get their hands on anyone who exhibits a vulnerability, and that absolutely includes small businesses.
Just because you’re small doesn’t mean you don’t need to be protected. In fact, attackers often view small and mid-sized companies as softer targets because those organizations typically lack dedicated security teams, updated endpoint protection, and formal incident response plans. The same social engineering, phishing, and ransomware tactics used to disrupt an Olympic opening ceremony are deployed every day against accounting firms, manufacturers, law offices, and medical practices.
A strong defense starts with the basics: multi-factor authentication, consistent patching, employee awareness training, offsite backups, and monitored endpoint protection. Add network segmentation, email filtering, and a tested response plan, and suddenly the cost of attacking your business outweighs the reward — which is exactly the calculus the IOC is trying to impose on its own adversaries.
The bottom line? Watching the Olympics and hackers square off on the world stage is a useful reminder that cybersecurity is no longer optional for anyone with a network connection. As a full-service managed IT provider, ThrottleNet can ensure your business is equipped to handle anything thrown your way. As a full-service managed IT provider, ThrottleNet can ensure your business is equipped to handle anything thrown your way. Contact us today to learn more about our managed services and security solutions for small business — and make sure the next chapter of “Olympics and hackers” doesn’t have your company’s name in it.
