FBI Asks Security Leaders to Prepare for Cyberattacks Ahead of Olympics

The FBI is keeping an eye on the potential for cyberattacks that aim to cause problems for the upcoming Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

FBI officials issued a warning this week, in which they note "cyber actors who wish to disrupt the event could use distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, ransomware, social engineering, phishing campaigns, or insider threats to block or disrupt live broadcasts of the event, steal and possibly hack and leak or hold hostage sensitive data, or impact public or private digital infrastructure supporting the Olympics."

Cybercrime targeted at Olympic-related events and people is not new. In 2018, the FBI indicted Russian criminals in connection with an incident that disrupted the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Attackers also targeted South Korean citizens and officials, Olympic athletes, partners, visitors, and International Olympic Committee officials with phishing campaigns and malicious mobile applications during the 2018 event.

The FBI to date says it is not aware of any specific cyber threat against the upcoming Olympics, but it urges awareness and vigilance. It recommends reviewing or establishing security policies, user agreements, and patching plans to address threats.

The full release can be found here.