Digital advances have benefits. But every innovation has its own vulnerabilities. One such threat is cyberattacks. Due to a lack of awareness, we keep working. We don’t know we could lose data or face a major setback. The Pyeongchang Winter Olympics faced a similar problem. A virus called Olympic Destroyer attacked the games’ management system. The incident occurred on 10 February 2018, when the games were to start.
At the time of the opening ceremony, the official Pyeongchang 2018 website went down. Spectators were piling up at the ticket counter to see the event. The system could not generate or print tickets. This caused several problems. It created a situation of panic where managing the crowd became difficult.
“Olympic Destroyer Virus Attacks Winter Games Coverage: Cyberattack Research and Response”
One of the significant concerns was that the attack hampered the live telecast of a ceremony. The Wi-Fi at the stadium’s media center failed. Reporters could not cover the event. After the attack, the management’s security wing hired Cisco’s Talos team. They are experts in removing malware from systems. They analyzed samples of the virus. The team found, after a review, that a virus attacked the games’ digital infrastructure. The goal was to disrupt the event.
The virus affected the Winter Olympics. Talos analysts Warren Mercer and Paul Rascagneres named the malware “Olympic Destroyer.” These issues occur when the system has loopholes. We must check every part of the digital infrastructure. This will prevent downtime from virus attacks.
An expert in spyware and malware removal can help you. They can remove bugs from the system. Today, there are many options on the market. You can find quality virus removal services with little effort.
A virus attack with high damage potential requires a lot of data on the target. The Cisco team found that the attacker knew the game’s infrastructure. It included usernames, domain names, server names, and passwords.
“Winter Olympics Hit by Cyberattack: Cisco Talos and McAfee Labs Investigate Malware.”
A blog quoted Mercer and Racegoers, experts in spyware removal. They said, “During destructive attacks like this, we must consider the nature of the attack.” They added, “Disruption is the clear goal. It proves the attackers wanted to embarrass the Olympic committee at the opening ceremony.
According to their inspection report, they did not identify any particular delivery mechanism. The Winter Olympics management won’t release details until the internal investigation is complete. But the Russian foreign ministry denied any involvement in this attack. They said, “We know that Western media are planning fake investigations. They will look for ‘Russian fingerprints’ in hacks of Winter Olympic sites.”
This is not the first cyberattack on the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. At the start of this year, McAfee Labs, a leader in anti virus removal, reported an incident in January. They discovered a malicious email campaign targeting individuals involved in the event. In this email, the sender attached a Word document with code designed to infect a victim’s computer. It’s unclear if a nation-state or rogue hackers are behind these attempts. McDonald and Talos both agree. Sophisticated malware targeted the Winter Olympic Destroyer Virus Attacked.
What can you do to stay safe?
Employees’ online searches for Olympics-related topics at work affect all organizations.
End User Notice: Warn users about Olympic-related fraud and phishing. Educate them about social technology and other threats. To raise awareness, run an Olympiad-themed phishing campaign against your organization. Remind employees to visit only trusted websites for information on the Olympics. They should also check the Olympic website and NBC Olympics for official information.
Email Security: Flag emails from external sources with a warning flag. Add filters to your email address to filter emails with known signs of phishing attempts. Complete filtering on email servers.
Mobile device security: Remind employees to install apps per corporate policies. They should also review app permissions before downloading. Users should be wary of apps that ask for unexpected permissions. Check with the publisher to ensure the app is from a reputable organization. Consider allowing employees’ guest Wi-Fi access, if permitted, under the Internet use guidelines.
Go to the Olympics: Ban employees from using company devices and remote connections at the event. Do not connect or transfer data from the device to your networks until you scan and recapture it. Before traveling to the Olympics, check the State Department’s travel advisory for security info. Also, review the MS-ISAC Security Primer on cybersecurity for travelers.
Conclusion
In malicious attacks like this, one should think about the nature of the attack. This type of attack aims to cause disruption. We believe the attackers wanted to embarrass the Olympic Destroyer Virus Attacked Committee at the opening ceremony.
The problem with the service is that the Olympics website is offline, which means people can’t print their tickets. The organizers reduced the coverage of the opening ceremony due to the lack of Wi-Fi for journalists at the venue.
The malware’s transmission method is unknown. The attacker has many options. If they can access the environment, they can launch a remote attack. This allows the actors to time the opening act, and they can control the timing of their effects.
