Why the Olympics Are a Cyber Target: Geopolitics, Visibility, and Digital Risk
Every Olympic Games celebrates global cooperation, competition, and unity. At the same time, the Olympics have quietly become one of the most attractive targets for cyberattacks.
From the 2018 PyeongChang “Olympic Destroyer” attack to the recent attempted cyberattacks linked to the 2026 Milano–Cortina Winter Olympics, the pattern is clear: major global sporting events sit at the intersection of geopolitics and cyberspace.
This post explores why the Olympics are targeted, how geopolitics drives cyber activity, and what kinds of attacks are typically involved with questions along the way to help readers think critically about digital risk.
Why the Olympics Matter in Geopolitics
The Olympics are not just a sporting event. They are:
- A symbol of national prestige
- A showcase of political legitimacy and global influence
- A high-profile platform watched by billions worldwide
Hosting the Games sends a message:
“We are stable, capable, and globally respected.”
For adversaries, that makes the Olympics a powerful target not to win medals, but to send political signals.
Interactive prompt:
If you wanted to embarrass a country on the world stage, would you choose a quiet day or the opening week of the Olympics?
Why Cyberattacks Are the Weapon of Choice
Cyber operations offer several advantages over physical attacks:
- They are low-cost compared to traditional military operations
- They allow plausible deniability
- They can be executed remotely
- They attract media attention without immediate physical harm
This makes cyberattacks ideal for:
- Hacktivist groups
- State-aligned actors
- Politically motivated campaigns
In many cases, the goal is not destruction but disruption and messaging.
A Pattern from Past Olympics
2018 – PyeongChang, South Korea
- Malware known as Olympic Destroyer disrupted IT systems
- Ticketing, Wi-Fi, and broadcasting were affected
- Later attributed to Russian state-linked actors
2021 – Tokyo Olympics
- Surge in phishing campaigns targeting staff and partners
- Increased probing of infrastructure, even without major outages
2024 – Paris (pre-Games period)
- French authorities warned of cyber and influence operations
- Focus on disruption rather than sabotage
2026 – Milano–Cortina
- Italian officials reported Russian-linked cyber activity
- Targets included:
- Olympic-related websites
- Hotel IT systems
- Government and diplomatic networks
- Attacks were largely DDoS-style disruptions
- All attempts were successfully mitigated
Interactive prompt:
Notice the trend: fewer destructive attacks, more disruption and visibility. Why do you think attackers prefer this approach?
Why Geopolitics Drives Olympic Cyberattacks
Cyberattacks around the Olympics are often tied to:
- International conflicts (e.g., Ukraine war)
- Sanctions and diplomatic tensions
- Public support for one side of a geopolitical conflict
- Messaging aimed at domestic or international audiences
In the case of Milano–Cortina, pro-Russian hacktivist groups framed attacks as retaliation for Italy’s political alignment.
The Olympics amplify these messages because:
- Media coverage is guaranteed
- Even minor disruptions become headlines
- The host nation’s image is at stake
What Gets Targeted (and Why)
Attackers typically focus on systems that are:
- Highly visible
- Non-critical but embarrassing if disrupted
- Easier to overwhelm than to compromise deeply
Common targets include:
- Official Olympic websites
- Ticketing and information portals
- Hotel and tourism systems
- Public-facing government websites
Less commonly targeted:
- Core timing, scoring, or safety systems (these are heavily isolated)
This reflects a key insight:
Most Olympic cyberattacks aim to be seen, not to cause harm.
How Hosts Defend Against These Threats
Host countries now treat cybersecurity as a core Olympic security function.
Typical measures include:
- 24/7 cyber command centers
- Coordination between national cyber agencies and law enforcement
- DDoS protection and traffic filtering
- Segmentation of critical systems
- International intelligence sharing
By the time the opening ceremony begins, most hosts are already in full cyber defense mode.
What This Tells Us About the Future
As long as:
- Geopolitical tensions persist
- Cyber operations remain low-risk and high-impact
- Global events attract massive attention
…the Olympics will remain a cyber target.
This doesn’t mean the Games are unsafe but it does mean that cybersecurity is now part of modern geopolitics, just like diplomacy, economics, and information warfare.
Final Thought
The Olympics celebrate global unity, but they also reflect the world as it is not just as we want it to be.
Understanding why the Olympics are targeted helps us better understand:
- Modern conflict
- The role of cyber operations
- How digital systems intersect with politics