Cyber Threats and the Olympics: Securing Paris 2024 with Dark Web Monitoring

As the world marveled at the athletic feats of the Paris 2024 Olympics, a different kind of challenge was unfolding behind the scenes. While millions focused on the sports, cybersecurity experts engaged in a critical mission to protect the event from relentless cyber threats. 

The Paris 2024 cybersecurity efforts, exposed the high-stakes struggle to safeguard this global spectacle from dangers lurking in the shadows. This webpage talked about hacking Paris 2024 spectator accounts and avoiding phishing scams. Global spectacles like the Olympics were prime targets for cyber criminals seeking to exploit its extensive digital footprint and international attention. 

But cyber security protection didn’t stop at the official cybersecurity measures. Monitoring the dark web was essential to anticipating and countering threats. That’s where our work with Lunar, by Webz.io, comes in. By tracking underground activity, we uncovered dark web postings offering counterfeit documents and stolen credentials specifically targeting the Paris 2024 Olympics. These findings underscored why the official committee’s warnings about hackers and phishing are more than just precautions—they were urgent calls to action. Without vigilant dark web monitoring, these threats could easily undermine the security of the entire event.

What we found: cyber attacks targeting Paris 2024

Recent history has shown that major events like the Olympics are magnets for cyberattacks. The Paris 2024 Games was no exception, facing a multitude of threats ranging from ransomware to phishing campaigns:

The following screenshot from Lunar, by Webz.io, our dark web monitoring tool, showed a post from a dark web marketplace advertisement promoting the sale of counterfeit documents, including passports, ID cards, visas, and work permits specifically for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The post offered “authentic” and “verified” documents, emphasizing RFID chips, and other security features to replicate official documents. It also mentioned the recruitment and selection of employees for the Olympic Games, hinting at the illicit use of these fake documents for job placements. 

Ransomware attacks

In the first week of August 2024, the Grand Palais, a historic monument and exhibition space used for the Olympics, fell victim to a ransomware attack. Cyber criminals breached its systems, demanding a ransom and threatening to leak sensitive financial data. This incident underscored the vulnerabilities within even the most prestigious institutions and highlights the disruptive potential of ransomware during high-profile events. Before launching ransomware attacks, threat actors gained unauthorized access to their target’s network in order to initiate the infection vector. 

You can see stealer logs with captured credentials from an Outlook Web Access (OWA) webmail session. Threat actors could use sensitive email data to gain unauthorized access to the organization’s email system. The domain “rmn.fr,” belongs to GrandPalaisRmn.

Phishing scams and credential theft

Using Lunar, by Webz.io, we identified a significant increase in compromised credentials of Paris Olympics employees being sold on dark web marketplaces. These credentials can be used to infiltrate systems, steal sensitive information, or launch further attacks. Phishing campaigns, leveraging Olympic-themed lures, are also targeting businesses and attendees, aiming to harvest personal data and deploy malware.

Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks

The goal of a DDoS attack is to overwhelm the targeted servers or networks with excessive traffic, disrupting normal operations. With the vast digital infrastructure supporting the Olympics, DDoS attacks can cause significant interruptions, affecting everything from event broadcasts to ticketing systems​. The following screenshot was taken from the Telegram channel of a hacktivist group, showcasing their successful disruption of the Grand Palais website in Paris, causing a “500 Internal Server Error.” The attack was probably part of a broader campaign targeting French entities, possibly linked to ongoing geopolitical tensions.

Nation-state and hacktivist threats

High-profile events usually attract politically motivated actors seeking to disrupt services or gain media attention. Disinformation campaigns and sophisticated cyber intrusions, often orchestrated by state-sponsored entities, are anticipated. These actors leveraged advanced technologies like AI to create and spread misleading narratives, blurring the lines between cybercrime and cyberwarfare. Such tactics are part of a broader strategy in cyberwarfare, where nations engage in digital battles to weaken adversaries, manipulate public opinion, and achieve geopolitical or political goals.

The critical role of dark web monitoring for the Olympics

The Paris 2024 Olympics faced sophisticated cyber threats, making dark web monitoring an essential part of cybersecurity. Here’s why it’s crucial for your business:

• Early threat detection: Dark web monitoring uncovers plans for ransomware attacks, compromised credentials, and counterfeit Olympic documents, allowing security teams to act before threats materialize.
• Mitigating phishing risks: The Olympics were prime targets for phishing. Monitoring tools detected and helped dismantle fraudulent sites mimicking Olympic domains, protecting both infrastructure and participants from scams.
• Enhancing incident response: In the event of an attack, dark web insights will reveal attackers’ methods, aiding in swift and effective responses to minimize damage and prevent future breaches.
• Protecting sensitive data: Detected stolen Olympic-related data surfaces online, enabling cyber security professionals to act quickly to contain breaches and protect the integrity of the event.

What’s next?

Even though the Olympic Games in Paris have just finished, the cyber threat landscape continues to evolve. The Grand Palais incident and other cyber threats underscore the importance of robust cybersecurity defenses. Utilizing dark web monitoring tools is essential for staying ahead of cybercriminals, ensuring the safety and success of this globally celebrated event.

Investing in these tools not only protects the integrity of the Olympics but also reinforces the broader digital security framework necessary for safeguarding any major event in today’s interconnected world. 

Discover how our dark web monitoring solution can keep your business and customer safe, even if you are not hosting an Olympic-sized event.