Top cyber threats targeting the Paris Olympics

The 2024 Paris Olympics are quickly approaching, captivating the global sporting community. The promise of thrilling competition, and a spirit of international unity has ignited a digital firestorm. However, this surge in online activity presents a compelling opportunity for cybercriminals, as users increasingly engage with digital accounts such as travel, finance and online gambling. 

The 2020 Tokyo Games, for example, witnessed a staggering 450 million attempted cyberattacks, highlighting the vulnerability of major sporting events in today’s digital age. Now, with more advanced, AI-powered threats and an increasing number of digital platforms for users to engage with, fraudsters are presented with a golden opportunity to take advantage of unsuspecting Olympics enthusiasts. 

To ensure a secure environment, businesses must be prepared for an influx of sophisticated scams by exploring the key security concerns and strategies to safeguard their platforms and users’ identities during the Olympics and in general.     

Travel fraud

The 2024 Olympics are projected to draw in more than 15 million tourists to Paris. The chaos during major events like this one increases the vulnerability of travelers and means a higher risk of fraud for businesses. Criminals know that travelers are high-value targets, both for their personal information and loyalty program rewards. Travelers must repeatedly provide their passport or other ID to check in for flights and hotel reservations, making them vulnerable to identity theft. Additionally, their loyalty points can be stolen and sold on the dark web.     

Unfamiliar environments and the need to use unverified ATMs make travelers easy targets for credit card skimmers and pickpockets. Stolen cards can then be used to book tickets, car rentals and hotels. Crowded airports, flight delays and frantic rebooking on unsecured Wi-Fi connections also create opportunities for identity theft, account takeovers and fraud.

At the same time, travelers expect digital check-in options, adding another layer of complexity.

As user preferences evolve and cyber threats advance, businesses struggle to balance a seamless user experience with robust security to prevent fraudsters from exploiting online identities. 

AI-powered attacks

The 2024 Olympics presents a major security challenge fueled by the rise of AI. Cybercriminals are leveraging this technology to create intricate online schemes like deepfakes. These realistic manipulated videos and images pose a threat by spreading misinformation and enabling hackers to potentially bypass common biometric-based security strategies. 

However, the bigger concern lies with synthetic identity fraud. By stitching together real and fabricated data, criminals can bypass traditional security measures to access financial accounts or sensitive information related to online gambling, a sector expected to boom during the Olympics.

This accessibility, coupled with the complexity of digital environments, creates a ripe opportunity for scams. As online gaming and gambling expand and attract a wider audience, the pool of digital footprints for fraudsters to manipulate also grows, which leads to increasingly sophisticated synthetic identities.

Staying one step ahead of the threat

To stay ahead of these evolving threats, enterprises must embrace cutting-edge security strategies including the use AI-powered tools.

Biometric authentication

Facial recognition and other biometric technologies analyze unique physical characteristics, making them highly resistant to sophisticated attacks like deepfakes. This ensures a more secure and user-friendly experience, compared to having to remember complex passwords.

Advanced liveness detection

Advanced liveness detection employs sophisticated algorithms to analyze user actions and physical presence. This deters criminals attempting to create fake personas using photos or videos. By verifying that a real person is behind the screen, liveness detection significantly strengthens defenses against identity spoofing and theft attempts.

Predictive analytics

AI analytics systems examine vast amounts of data, including user behavior and transaction patterns. By identifying anomalies and suspicious connections, they can predict and prevent complex fraud rings from forming. This proactive approach ensures robust defense against potential risks, safeguarding user information and business assets.

Game on, threats off

As users digitally engage with travel platforms and online gambling sites, fraudsters will have their sights on a gold mine of identity theft opportunities. With AI-powered attack vectors, cyber threats are only becoming more complex.  

By deploying a combination of modern security techniques including biometrics authentication, advanced liveness detection and predictive analytics, businesses operating during the Paris Olympics can significantly reduce the risk of identity fraud and protect their customers’ critical information.