U.S. & U.K. Say Russia Committed Olympic Cyber Attacks

U.S. and British officials have accused Russian military intelligence of cyberattacks that hacked operations at the 2018 Winter Olympics and targeted the postponed Tokyo Olympics, according to The New York Times.

During the opening ceremony of PyeongChang 2018 in South Korea, Olympic officials lost internet access and saw the website crash, which prevented fans from printing tickets needed to attend the Games. The ceremony was also supposed to feature flying drones, but those were grounded due to technical disruptions that are now being attributed to Russian interference. 

According to the NYT, Russia plotted to execute a similar cyberattack for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which were delayed until 2021. The FBI and British officials contacted Japan to notify them of Russia’s cyber plans.

Last year, the World Anti-Doping Agency imposed a four-year ban on Russia from international sporting events after its government was found to have helped delete data that recorded positive drug tests among Russian athletes.