Cybersecurity Measures Strengthened Ahead of 2024 Paris Olympic Games

With just over a month until the 2024 Olympics kick off in Paris, organizers are bolstering cybersecurity precautions against potential cyberattacks. 

The event is a prime target due to the vast amount of data involved, including ticket payment information.

A report from Google-owned cybersecurity firm Mandiant warns that espionage groups are likely to target the 2024 Olympics to gather information, as there will be a high number of government officials and senior decision-makers attending.

To ensure cyber safety, the Paris 2024 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games has enlisted Cisco to provide cybersecurity services. Having worked with the Olympics since London 2012 providing networking equipment, Cisco’s role has been expanded to cover cybersecurity infrastructure solutions for the games in France.

“Cisco’s solutions will build a secure, smooth, trustworthy and collaborative network, thus creating a new, strengthened experience for all the athletes, spectators and stakeholders,” a post on the Olympic partner’s website states.

According to Cisco, the 2021 Tokyo Games faced 450 million cyberattacks and the company expects eight times that amount during the Paris Games this summer.

Cisco says it will deploy identity and network access solutions, monitor the internet traffic of some 50,000 accredited individuals on competition sites and employ visibility and detection through its Cisco Talos arm.

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“The technological challenges associated with the Paris 2024 Games are the same as those faced by businesses, making it a true-scale IT project,” said Eric Greffier, Cisco France’s technical director for Paris 2024.

Eviden is also being brought in to help with cybersecurity operations, using its monitoring services to identify threats that could impact the competition.

The Atos Group business will monitor threats using the AI-powered cybersecurity detection and response platform, AIsaac.

“We are very pleased to be working with Eviden, which has extensive experience in cybersecurity,” said Tony Estanguet, president of Paris 2024. “Eviden teams will implement numerous solutions to combat threats, to help Paris 2024 to meet the sport challenges of the digital age and to secure the delivery of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

A report from ANSSI, France’s cybersecurity agency, found that no large-scale cyberattacks were detected during the country’s most recent sporting event, the 2023 Rugby World Cup, but warns that the Olympics could prove a more enticing target.

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The Rugby World Cup provided French authorities with a test to assess strengthened detection, warning and incident response systems ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games.

Ahead of the games, ANSSI director general Vincent Strubel said ethical hackers have been conducting tests to vulnerabilities.

“There are 500 sites, competition venues and local collectives, and we've tested them all,” Strubel said, with Olympic officials also forming rapid response teams and conducting cybersecurity training programs to ensure the games run safely in cyberspace.