Cyber Mischief at the Winter Olympics
The organizers at the Olympics have confirmed that the “servers were hacked by an unidentified attacker,” hitting several non-critical systems, the internet and television systems were also disrupted.
At first, the organizers were forced to shut down internal internet and Wi-Fi systems at the main press center to prevent damage. However, the attack also took down the Winter Olympics Website which meant the customers who have bought the tickets were not able to print their reservation slips or view information about the games. It took about 12 hours before the non-critical systems and the website was fully restored.
There are growing concerns that Russia is behind the attack as a retaliatory response for getting banned from the Olympics along with nearly 200 Russian athletes over its state-sponsored doping at the games in Sochi in 2014.
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However, the Russian Foreign Ministry has denied its involvement. In relation to the attack, one of its Spokesperson cited: “We know that Western media are planning pseudo-investigations on the theme of 'Russian fingerprints' in hacking attacks on information resources related to the hosting of the Winter Olympic Games 2018. He also re-emphasized that Russia has nothing to do with the attack and there is no evidence of such involvement.
In relation to the rumors Spokesperson of Pyeongchang 2018, Sung Baik-you refused to confirm the involvement of Russia in the attack and said: “We confirm that there was a cyber-attack and the server was updated yesterday and we also have the cause of the problem.
We know what happened and it is a usual thing during any Olympic Games and we are not going to reveal the source. We are operating in line with best practice and are not going to comment on it and its sources.
In addition, Head of communications International Olympics Committee (IOC), Mark Adams told that "We would not share any details related to the investigation before it has come to an end, particularly because the issues involve security, which at these games is incredibly important and we need to maintain the security of our systems as well."
“We are not revealing details in public because at the moment we are working to make sure that our systems are secure, which they are,” he said. “But once we have a full report, I guess, it will be made public.”
Fortunately, the supposed attack has not disrupted the safety of the athletes or attendees, and a dedicated team of cybersecurity officials is assisting with the investigation.
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Tips to prevent Cyber Mischief at the Winter Olympics from entering your computer :
1. Enable your popup blocker: Pop-ups and ads in the websites are the most adoptable tactic used by cybercriminals or developers with the core intention to spread malicious programs. So, avoid clicking uncertain sites, software offers, pop-ups etc.
2. Keep your Windows Updated: To avoid such infections, we recommend that you should always keep your system updated through automatic windows update. By doing this you can keep your device free from virus. According to the survey, outdated/older versions of Windows operating system are an easy target.
3. Third-party installation: Try to avoid freeware download websites as they usually install bundled of software with any installer or stub file.
4. Regular Backup: Regular and periodical backup helps you to keep your data safe in case the system is infected by any kind of virus or any other infection. Thus always backup important files regularly on a cloud drive or an external hard drive.
5. Always have an Anti-Virus: Precaution is better than cure. We recommend that you install an antivirus like McAfee or a good Malware Removal Tool like Download Free Virus Removal Tool
6. Install a powerful ad- blocker for Chrome, Mozilla,and IE.
