The Summer Olympics and tensions over the war in Ukraine are likely to make France, and Paris in particular, a tempting target for various hacking attempts, France's top cybersecurity official said on Monday.
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Vincent Strubel, the head of France's cybersecurity agency, known as ANSSI, said in an interview that the Olympics faced threats from rival countries, criminals using ransomware and "hacktivists" aligned with Russia who use their computer skills to promote their political messages.
French officials, including Mr. Strubel, are in Washington this week for consultations with cybersecurity officials. The Paris Olympics run from July 26 to August 11.
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The opening ceremony of the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, was marred by a cyberattack that caused internet. Security firms quickly blamed Russia and the Fancy Bear hacking group, which was linked to Moscow, for the attack.
Mr. Strubel said the Paris opening ceremony could also be the target of a state-sponsored cyberattack. He did not name a country, but French President Emmanuel Macron said he had “no doubt” that Russia would try to target the Paris Olympics. He did not provide details.
While Russian athletes will participate in Paris, they will not compete under their country's flag. Russia has been banned from the Olympics for its illegal annexation of Ukrainian territory.
Cyberattacks by Russian-based hackers have increased since the war in Ukraine began two years ago, Mr. Strubel said. Most of these attacks have been relatively simple, aimed at temporarily taking down websites or servers.
In addition to the possibility of state-sponsored hacking efforts, France is bracing for ransomware attacks against businesses and organizations. France, like many other countries, has been hit in recent years by a wave of ransomware attacks that have affected local authorities and hospitals.
Such criminal operations, Mr. Strubel said, will likely increase during the Games.
Source of information: nytimes.com
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