Hackers take over Winter Olympics of 2018

According to the Yonhap News agency reports, this year's Winter Olympics' inaugural ceremony faced a cyber-attack, February 9, as POCOG (PyeongChang Organizing Committee for Olympic & Paralympic Games) for 2018 so confirmed. The committee said the cyber assault resulted in the IPTV (internet protocol televisions) to cease functioning at Main Press Centre.

The committee further said some unknown attacker hacked into its servers while the ceremony was on as also the servers were consequently shut down. This prompted the committee to shut down its website too for not letting any further damage. However, on February 10, around 8am, the website was restored online. Zdnet.com posted this, February 11, 2018.

According to Mark Adams, spokesman of IOC (International Olympic Committee), the committee's purpose was to keep operations secure. It wouldn't make any comment regarding the problem for it was already dealing with it. It was ensuring all its systems were safe and protected and indeed they were so, Adams assured.

In addition Adams said even as he didn't know the person responsible for the assault, as per the most optimum international practice, one didn't discuss a cyber attack. Sung Baik-you another spokesman stated in a press interview that the committee knew why the problem occurred; however, such problems often happened at the time of the Games. It was decided with International Olympic Committee that the source wouldn't be revealed, Baik-you added.

Suppose it's proved the assault is from Russia then the IOC may change its stand over whether it will suspend the preceding of the closing function while let athletes walk the stadium underneath the Russian flag. As everything planned athletes from Russia will play underneath the banner "Official Athlete of Russia" as also beneath one neutral flag.

Several sponsors on knowing about the cyber-attack have become even warier, being worried of the probability that a happening of the kind would occur during the Olympics. Several sponsors have taken to insurance companies for protection from hacks, indicating it as an extremely essential precaution.

In January, researchers from McAfee Labs reportedly unearthed one malicious phishing campaign attacking organizations associated with the Olympics so as for controlling infected computers.

» SPAMfighter News - 2/19/2018