Dark Web Shows Cybercriminals Ready For Olympics. Are You?
Fortinet News, Wednesday, July 17th, 2024
Major sporting events like the World Cup, Super Bowl, and Wimbledon attract millions, even billions, of viewers. Argentina's shootout win over France in the final game of the Qatar 2022 World Cup reached a global audience of 1.5 billion viewers.
And the Olympics, starting later this month in Paris, is the biggest of them all-with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics having attracted a worldwide audience of over 3 billion viewers.
These events are also prime opportunities for cybercriminals. Over the past decade, the number of cyberattacks targeting major events has surged, increasing from 212 million documented attacks at the London 2012 Games to a staggering 4.4 billion at the Tokyo 2020 Games. These attacks often have direct financial motives, such as scams, digital fraud, or the acquisition of valuable data from attendees, viewers, and sponsors. In their excitement, eager fans often overlook potential risks when purchasing tickets, arranging accommodations, or buying memorabilia, making them easy targets for cybercriminals.