"Hamas Terror During Olympics" Fake News Spread
Cybersecurity Firms Warn IOC of Attack Preparedness
Putin Angered by Athlete Disqualification
As the Paris Olympics scheduled for July approaches, Russian hacker groups have begun launching cyberattacks against the International Olympic Committee (IOC), tarnishing the image of the Paris Olympics. Various fake news created using deepfake technology powered by generative artificial intelligence (AI) are spreading rapidly through social networking services (SNS). Amid Russia's retaliatory measures against the IOC's ban on Russian participation, concerns are rising that Russia may completely boycott the Olympics and escalate its offensive as France prepares to dispatch training instructors to Ukraine.
"Paris residents start selling homes due to terror threats" - Incitement through fake news
Cybersecurity companies such as Microsoft, Google Cloud, and Recorded Future have consistently warned that Russian hacker groups are actively conducting cyberattacks on IOC and Paris Olympics-related websites. Preparations are necessary as large-scale attacks by Russian hackers are expected to continue for at least the next six weeks.
This is not the first time Russia has mobilized hacker groups to attack IOC and Olympic host country-related sites. According to Axios, during the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, Russia attempted hacking attacks on hundreds of computers connected to the Olympic Organizing Committee. During the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Russia hacked the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and leaked athletes' personal information.
Alongside cyberattacks, Russian hacker groups have been creating and spreading various fake news on SNS, damaging the image of the Paris Olympics. Microsoft recently reported that videos disguised as local media are circulating on SNS in France and Belgium, warning that terrorist attacks by Hamas or Middle Eastern organizations could occur during the Paris Olympics. Additionally, fake news continues to emerge claiming that Paris residents are already frightened by terror threats, selling their homes or purchasing insurance, and that Olympic ticket sales have dropped by more than 24%.
The French government has established security teams to prepare against hacking not only from Russia but also China, Iran, and North Korea, and has lodged protests with the Russian government regarding cyberattacks and fake news. However, the Russian Embassy in Paris strongly denied involvement, stating, "Russian authorities have not been involved in the creation of any known fake news related to the Paris Olympics."
Retaliatory attacks following IOC ban... Truce proposals also rejected
These Russian cyberattacks were anticipated after the IOC stripped Russian and Belarusian athletes of their eligibility in March. The IOC banned the participation of Russian and Belarusian teams as national delegations, holding them accountable for the invasion of Ukraine and Belarus's cooperation in the war.
According to CNN, under the IOC's measures, Russian and Belarusian athletes are only allowed to participate as individuals, not as national teams. They can only compete in individual events, not team events, and even if they win gold medals, the national flag cannot be raised nor the national anthem played. Their clothing and accessories cannot feature designs reminiscent of their national flags, and they must wear uniforms in colors designated by the IOC.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed strong anger over the IOC's disqualification. Subsequently, the truce proposals during the Paris Olympics, led mainly by China, were reportedly rejected. On the 16th of last month, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated regarding the Olympic truce proposal, "Russia notes that Ukraine uses this as an opportunity to regroup and rearm," expressing a rejection stance.
France hints at dispatching instructors to Ukraine... Clash with Russia inevitable
The French government's announcement of plans to dispatch training instructors to strengthen support for Ukraine has deepened the conflict between the two countries. There are growing concerns that this could escalate into a direct military confrontation between France and Russia.
According to local media France24, French President Emmanuel Macron announced at a press conference on the 7th that an alliance of training instructors to be dispatched to Ukraine with allied countries will soon be formed. He emphasized, "Is training Ukrainian soldiers on Ukrainian territory an escalation?" and "We are not at war with Russia, but we want to do everything possible to help Ukraine."
Earlier, President Macron had hinted at the possibility of direct deployment to Ukraine in unavoidable circumstances, such as the fall of Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, to Russian forces since February, continuing his tough stance against Russia. Not only Russia but also countries within the European Union (EU), including Germany, are concerned about accidental clashes and escalation.
Meanwhile, the Russian government pressured France, claiming to have detained a French national residing in Russia on espionage charges. On the 7th, the Russian Investigative Committee issued a statement saying, "We have detained a French national who deliberately collected military technology activities and military information of the Russian Federation for years," adding, "If such information falls into the hands of foreign intelligence agencies, it could threaten Russia's security." The detained individual is known as Laurent Binatiero, a Russian specialist who worked for a Swiss non-profit organization.
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