According to the director general of the French Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI),
The warning from Strubel comes amid strained relations between France and Russia over the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Tensions were further heightened when French President Emmanuel Macron suggested that Western troops could be sent to Ukraine, which angered Moscow. The French authorities have also been accused of past disinformation and hacking campaigns.
Strubel emphasized that the Olympic Games are a likely target for cyber attacks and that ANSSI is prepared for various types of attacks, including those from foreign states, cyber-criminals seeking financial gain, and "hacktivists" looking to cause trouble for fun or publicity. He also noted that ANSSI is monitoring the systems of Atos, France's leading IT services and cyber-security company, which is a crucial provider for the Paris Games.
The Paris Olympics have also faced controversy, with Russian athletes being barred from the opening ceremony and largely excluded from the event due to accusations of doping. Russia has accused the International Olympic Committee of
In addition to these state-backed attacks, Strubel also mentioned the threat of
Strubel also referenced the 2012 London Olympics, where NTT, the Japanese telecom company responsible for IT security, reported 450 million individual cyber attacks. This number was twice as many as the attacks seen during the 2012 Games. As the Paris Olympics draw nearer, Strubel and ANSSI will continue to monitor and prepare for potential cyber threats.