'Cybercriminals ready for Olympics – are you?' ask experts ahead of games

With many sports fans gearing up to watch the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, live or virtually, viewers are warned to be on the lookout for cybercriminals trawling for victims.

Two cybersecurity companies have released reports analysing online trends they've observed in the lead-up to the games and tips to fans keep safe.

Kaspersky revealed the findings made by its global research and analysis team after an assessment of nearly 25,000 free Wi-Fi spots in Paris ahead of the opening of the games. The analysis found that almost 25% of these networks “had weak or no encryption, making users vulnerable to personal and banking data theft”.

The company advised fans to make use of a virtual private network (VPN) as it provided “an extra layer of security for those accessing open Wi-Fi networks”.

Explaining how it works, Kaspersky said it encrypts your internet connection, thereby “creating a secure tunnel between the device and the internet.

“This encryption prevents cybercriminals from intercepting data, even on unsecured networks. By masking the IP address and encrypting all transmitted data, a VPN ensures that personal and financial information remains protected while using public Wi-Fi.”

Other tips the company shared include:

• Avoid sensitive transactions: Refrain from accessing banking or other sensitive accounts while on public Wi-Fi.
• Verify the network: Ensure the network is legitimate by confirming with the establishment offering it.
• Enable firewall: Make sure your device’s firewall is active to block unauthorised access.
• Use strong passwords: Always use strong, unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication for extra security.
• Keep software updated: Regularly update your operating system, apps and antivirus software to protect against the latest threats.
• Disable file sharing: Turn off file sharing and AirDrop on your device to prevent unauthorised access.

“Like the sportspeople training for the summer of sport in France, cybercriminals have also prepared an unsavoury welcome for the millions of people heading for Paris hotels, fan zones and events. They might set up fake access points or compromise legitimate networks to intercept and manipulate data transfers.

“Open and misconfigured Wi-Fi networks are particularly attractive to criminals, as they enable the theft of passwords, credit card details and other sensitive user data,” the company's Amin Hasbini said.

Fortinet released its FortiGuard Labs analysis which found that the games “have been a target for a growing number of cybercriminals for over a year”.

“[The analysis] has observed a significant increase in resources being gathered for the games, especially those targeting French-speaking users, French government agencies and businesses, and French infrastructure providers,” it said.

“Beginning the second half of 2023, we saw a surge in darknet activity targeting France. This 80% to 90% increase has remained consistent across [second half of] 2023 and [first half of] 2024. The prevalence and sophistication of these threats are a testament to cybercriminals’ planning and execution, with the dark web serving as a hub for their activities.”

The Fortinet team said it has also seen a “significant number” of typosquatting domains registered around the games, as well as Olympic Games-themed lottery scams.

Additionally, the team has seen a spike in coding services used to create phishing websites “and associated live panels, bulk SMS services to enable mass communication and phone number spoofing services”.

“The Paris Olympics 2024 is a high-stakes cyberthreat target, drawing attention from cybercriminals, hacktivists and state-sponsored actors. Cybercriminals are leveraging phishing scams and fraudulent schemes to exploit unsuspecting participants and spectators,” the company said.

“We anticipate that hacktivist groups will focus on entities associated with the Paris Olympics to disrupt the event, targeting infrastructure, media channels and affiliated organisations to disrupt event proceedings, undermine credibility and amplify their messages on a global stage.”

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