Hosting the Olympics is always a source of national pride for any nation chosen to do so. Whether in winter or summer, the prestige of the world’s eyes being on an event that transcends political differences and has sport at the fore is a prize many countries and regions aspire to achieve.

This all sounds fantastic and at one level is exactly what is happening at the 2022 Winter Olympics. However, at another level, any event that attracts large numbers of overseas visitors, high-ranking government and non-government organisation officials, as well as cutting edge technologies will attract unwanted attention. The Olympics provide a huge opportunity for those who want to exploit visitors and steal their data.

Opportunities for Cybercriminals

The FBI as well as the UK and several EU countries cyber agencies have emphasised the need for those traveling to the Olympics to exercise caution with “the download and use of applications, including those required to participate or stay in-country, as they could increase the opportunity for cyber actors to steal personal information or install tracking tools, malicious code, or malware.” The Canadian Olympic Committee noted that the games present “a unique opportunity for cybercrime,” as reported by the Reuters.

Those same agencies advised their athletes, training teams, and others to leave their personal devices at home or use temporary phones due to potential cybersecurity concerns at the Games. The devices they refer to include laptops, tablets, and any technologies with electronic processing and/or communications capabilities. Part of the reason for this is to reduce the possibility of any malicious actors being able to steal data from personal devices. But it also accounts for security concerns around an app that athletes need to download in order to compete at this year’s Games.

Indeed, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, (Read more...)