UK claims Russia planned cyber-attack for Tokyo Olympics

UK’s National Cyber Security Centre together with US intelligence agencies revealed that the Russian military intelligence services were planning a cyber-attack on the Tokyo Olympics this summer.

According to the Guardian, the aim was to disrupt the event after many of the Russian competitors had been disqualified over doping offences. Russia was banned in December 2019 from all world sporting events by the World-wide Anti-Doping Agency (Wada), including the summer Olympics.

The report found that the Russian cyber-reconnaissance work covering the Games organisers, logistics services and sponsors was already in motion before the Olympics was postponed due to coronavirus.

The Tokyo Games’ organising committee said there was “no significant impact observed” from possible cyber-attacks on its operations.

“Tokyo 2020 sees cyber security as an important aspect of hosting the Games, and the Tokyo 2020 organising committee has been taking a range of measures and making thorough preparations,” it said in an emailed statement to the Guardian.

“Although we are not able to disclose details of the countermeasures due to the nature of the topic, we will continue to work closely with the relevant organisations and authorities to ensure that they are thoroughly implemented.”

Japan’s chief government spokesman, Katsunobu Kato, said the country would make sure that the postponed Games were safe from cyber-attacks.

“We would not be able to overlook an ill-intentioned cyber-attack that could undermine the foundation of democracy,” Kato said.

The UK is also the first government to confirm details of a previously reported Russian attempt to disrupt the 2018 winter Olympics and Paralympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

The UK assumes that the reconnaissance work for the summer Olympics was designed to mount the same form of disruption.

The foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, said: “The GRU’s actions against the Olympic and Paralympic Games are cynical and reckless. We condemn them in the strongest possible terms.

“The UK will continue to work with our allies to call out and counter future malicious cyber-attacks.”