1 min read Olympics

Olympics 2024 Threats - Wifi honeypots, Phishing, BEC, Domain spoofing and Fake apps

Olympics 2024 Threats - Wifi honeypots, Phishing, BEC, Domain spoofing and Fake apps
A laptop screen shows a padlock icon, with binary code and green light streaks, symbolizing cybersecurity

The Paris Olympics, starting yesterday, marks the first in-person summer games since pandemic restrictions lifted. While exciting, this event brings significant cybersecurity risks.

An analysis of nearly 25,000 free Wi-Fi spots in Paris revealed alarming vulnerabilities:

  • Almost 25% had weak or no encryption
  • About 20% used the outdated WPS algorithm
  • Only 6% employed the latest WPA3 security protocol

These vulnerabilities expose travelers to various cyber threats:

  1. Man-in-the-Middle Attacks: Hackers intercept communications, capturing sensitive data.
  2. Evil Twin Attacks: Cybercriminals set up rogue Wi-Fi networks to intercept data and inject malware.
  3. Data Sniffing: Attackers capture data transmitted over unsecured networks.
  4. Wi-Fi Honeypots: Fake hotspots lure users to steal data and inject malware.

Phishing scams targeting the Olympics have also increased. Cloudflare reported processing over half a million Olympics-related emails from January to late July 2024, with 1.5% spam and 0.2% malicious content.

Business Email Compromise (BEC) is another sophisticated threat. Attackers impersonate executives or partners to manipulate employees into unauthorized payments or data disclosure. BEC types include CEO fraud, account compromise, attorney impersonation, and data theft.

Domain spoofing is a method where attackers create fake domains mimicking legitimate ones to deceive users. This can lead to theft of sensitive information and malware infections.

Fraudsters are also expected to deploy fake mobile apps related to transport, booking, or event planning during the Olympics.

To protect against these threats:

  • Avoid unknown Wi-Fi networks
  • Use VPNs for secure browsing
  • Keep devices' security software updated
  • Implement multi-factor authentication
  • Use advanced email filtering
  • Train employees to recognize suspicious emails
  • Verify financial transactions through multiple channels
  • Implement email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
  • Monitor for similar domain registrations
  • Educate users about recognizing suspicious domains
  • Use SSL/TLS certificates for websites
  • Be cautious of Olympics-related emails and links
  • Avoid public Wi-Fi for sensitive transactions

By staying vigilant and following these precautions, travelers and businesses can better protect themselves against cyber threats during the Paris Olympics.