Canadian intelligence services warned this Friday that major sporting events, both at home and abroad, are “very likely” to be targets of cyber attacks. The Communications Security Establishment (CSE), a federal agency in charge of gathering electronic intelligence and protecting the Canadian government from cyber attacks, warned about the danger of this type of action at events such as the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Montreal, on the 9th, and the Paris Olympic Games in July.
“The high profile and cost of major international sporting events make them a prime target for cyber criminals who want to take advantage of opportunities to make a profit,” the agency said in a bulletin released this Friday. The agency warned of the specific risk “to the public, athletes, government officials and organizations associated with major international sporting events.”
The CSE divided the perpetrators of possible attacks into cybercriminals, activists and cyber espionage conducted under the sponsorship of state entities. “We assess that cybercriminals are likely to target large organizations associated with major international sporting events and local businesses around them through fraudulent emails and ransomware with the aim of extortion”, says the bulletin. “They are also likely to target individuals associated with major international sporting events, including organizers, participants and spectators, through phishing with malicious emails and websites using the events as bait,” he added.
The Canadian agency also considered the action of activists and agents sponsored by countries “very likely”, but did not name them.
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