Pyeongchang Winter Games Were Targeted By ‘Olympic Destroyer’ Malware

It was confirmed by the organizing committee of the Pyeongchang Winter Games that they had come under a cyberattack during the opening ceremony last week. Not a lot of details were provided about the cyberattack officially but several cybersecurity firms in the United States have looked into the matter and have uncovered the computer virus called “Olympic Destroyer” that was likely used in the attack during the opening ceremony.

The organizers had only confirmed the attack on Sunday, offering little details beyond that the hack affected internet and TV services but did not compromise critical operations. A spokesperson later confirmed that all issues caused by the malware were resolved over the weekend.

Reuters reports that multiple cybersecurity firms in the United States have analyzed computer code they believe was used in the attack. All three have pointed out that malware called Olympic Destroyer was used. It was designed to knock computers offline by deleting important system files, an action that would have rendered the machines useless.

The attack reportedly took the Olympics website offline which prevented some people from printing out tickets. Wi-Fi meant for reporters covering the opening ceremony didn’t work as well as a result of this hack.

Despite the clarity about the objective of this cyberattack, all three cybersecurity firms have said that they’re unsure who was behind this attack. The organizing committee hasn’t pointed any fingers to individuals or a nation-state just yet.

Adnan Farooqui
Categories: General
Tags: Hacking, olympics