Why does UK believe that Russia is planning a cyber-attack on Tokyo Olympics?

Team Udayavani, Oct 22, 2020, 4:04 PM IST

UK National Cyber Security Centre has revealed that Russian military intelligence services were planning a cyber-attack on the Japanese-hosted Olympics and Paralympics in Tokyo this summer in an attempt to disrupt the world’s premier sporting event

Targets included the Games’ organizers, logistics services, and sponsors, the UK government said in a separate press release.

According to Sky News, the timing of the UK government’s revelations was “in part” to alert the world to the threat posed to the Tokyo Olympics.

According to Zdnet, UK authorities believe Russian hackers intended to sabotage the Olympic Games, similar to the cyber-attacks they carried out against the organizers of the 2018 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

The report further states, In February 2018, Russian hackers deployed the OlympicDestroyer malware that crippled web servers during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics.

The attacks were carried out because the International Olympic Committee had banned Russian athletes from participating at the event under the Russian flag, citing a state-sponsored doping program.