Hacking group's threat to Winter Olympics in Russia highlights risk of cyber-attacks on sponsor

[InfoSec News <alerts () infosecnews org>]

http://www.janes.com/article/32169/hacking-group-s-threat-to-winter-olympics-in-russia-highlights-risk-of-cyber-attacks-on-sponsor

IHS Jane's Intelligence Weekly
08 January 2014

Key Points

* A group calling itself the Caucasus Anonymous issued a threat on 30
  December to undertake a "cyber war" against the Winter Olympics.
* The group is unlikely to be able to threaten actual Games operations
  because of the high levels of electronic security in place and the
  likely lack of manpower that the Caucasus Anonymous can call upon.
* Sponsors of the Games are at a heightened risk of cyber attack as part
  of the campaign, with the threat posed by the group likely to increase if it
  is able to garner greater international support, particularly if it is
  able to exploit perceptions of the Russian government cracking down on
  democratic freedoms.

EVENT
A hacking group calling itself the Caucasus Anonymous has threatened to conduct 
"cyber war" against the Sochi Winter Olympics, according to a 30 December 
message on a website frequently used by Islamist militants from Russia's North 
Caucasus to issue claims for attacks.

The two suicide bombs that struck the Russian city of Volgograd on 29 and 30 
December 2013 have starkly focused the world's attention on the security 
threats to the Sochi Winter Olympic Games, which begin on 7 February. Among the 
challenges facing the organisers (although certainly a less significant issue 
than the direct threat of terrorist attacks) is assessing and preparing for the 
likely cyber threats.

[...]



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