Japan Prepares to Intercept Cyberattacks for Olympics

The Japanese government revealed this Monday that the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which was postponed until July 2021, have recently come under attack from cyber-terrorist groups.

The United States and Britain announced that Russian military intelligence had attempted several attacks worldwide, including ones aimed at the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. Word was not given on the attacks’ effectiveness, but Olympic Games organizers, sponsors, and even logistics suppliers were targeted. Japanese Chief cabinet secretary Katsunobu Kato told the media that Japan is working closely with the U.S. and Britain to analyze the situation.

Russia, who has been banned from major sporting events for four years over serious and continued doping offenses, is also banned from the 2020 Games. This is just one of many alleged cyber attacks from the Russian government involving international sports organizations. The attacks were recognized to begin after Russia’s doping scandal became international news around 5 years ago. However, Moscow continues to deny the allegations. 

A spokesman for the International Olympic Committee spoke about the importance of cybersecurity for the games, saying, “The IOC and the organizing committees of the Olympic Games have identified cybersecurity as a priority area and invest a lot to offer the Olympic Games the best cybersecurity environment possible.”