Russian military hackers launched a cyberattack against hundreds of South Korean computers in an effort to disrupt the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics being held in PyeongChang. The attacks resulted in interruptions to internet and broadcast services, as well as the Olympics website. Many attendees of the opening ceremonies on February 9 were unable to print their tickets, resulting in scores of empty seats.
The attack, revealed by U.S. intelligence sources, is also believed to be a “false-flag” operation in which the Russian operatives intended to make the attack look like it originated in North Korea.
The hacks are largely believed to be retribution for the International Olympic Committee banning Russia from participating in this year’s events because of a massing doping scandal. Forty-Three Russian athletes were banned from the Olympic games for life, as well as several Russian officials as a result of the scandal.
In this year’s Games, no officials from Russia’s Olympic federation were allowed to attend, Russia’s athletes were forced to compete under a “Olympic Athletes from Russia” moniker, they were unable to display the Russian flag on their uniforms and their anthem was not played when medals were won.
In 2016, a group associated with the Russian military hacked and released sensitive data of the drug use of other Olympic athletes. Many believed it was retaliation for the World Anti-Doping Agency, the Olympics’ drug watchdog, recommending Russian athletes be banned from the Rio games that year for massive banned-substance abuse. This year’s attacks seem to be in the same vain.
In these attacks, Russian hackers sought to lay the blame at the feet of North Korean hackers by using North Korean IP addresses and other similar tactics, which is common U.S. intelligence officials said, for Russian hackers.