Why US, UK believe Russia is planning a cyber attack on Tokyo Olympics

The US has charged six Russian hackers for allegedly carrying out a series of cyber attacks across the globe, including the 2018 Winter Olympics. The indictment coincided with the British government declaring that Russian hackers were attempting an attack on the Tokyo Olympics.

Hackers had managed to take down the official website of the 2018 Winter Olympics, which meant thousands of spectators could not print their tickets or get access to information related to the Games. (Photo: AP)

Moments before the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, the Games’ official website went offline. As the ceremony began, the WiFi and televisions inside the main Olympic stadium stopped working. Back then, the organising committee confirmed a cyber attack but did not say where it had originated.

American and British government agencies have claimed Russia was behind the cyber attack that hit Pyeongchang 2018 – and that it has planned something similar for the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics as a part of a “worldwide hacking campaign” that includes the French presidential elections and Ukraine’s electricity grid among others, according to reports.

Russia has denied any wrongdoing. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has not yet responded to the allegations made against the country.

What are the allegations against Russia?

On Monday, the US Justice Department charged six Russian hackers, aged between 27 and 35, for allegedly carrying out a series of cyber attacks across the globe, including the 2018 Winter Olympics. The indictment coincided with the British government declaring that Russian hackers were attempting a similar attack on the Tokyo Olympics, which were to be held this year but which have been postponed to July 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to American prosecutors and British intelligence officers, Russia’s military intelligence agency, which goes by the acronym GRU, camouflaged itself as North Korean and Chinese hackers to disrupt the 2018 Winter Games.

They allegedly first sent emails to the members of the IOC, athletes and other companies, as per the court documents obtained by The New York Times. In those emails, the hackers posed as “Olympic or South Korean government officials to trick the recipients into giving them access to key Olympic infrastructure”, The NYT reported.