"As the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics unfold, attackers are already treating the Games as a global hunting ground, and this time, the bullseye sits squarely on mobile devices. Organizers expect unprecedented digital engagement, with billions of fans splitting attention across broadcast, apps, social, and streaming, a dynamic we saw explode in Paris 2024, where the IOC reported roughly five billion people followed the Games and 70% watched across both TV and digital platforms."
"Major events concentrate money, identity, and attention in one place, exactly what cybercriminals optimize for. European authorities are on high alert this week, citing attempted intrusions on Olympic‑adjacent targets and emphasizing that ticketing and streaming systems are prime disruption candidates. U.S. officials supporting security efforts have likewise flagged cyber as a core risk category, with scenarios ranging from payment/ticketing disruptions to traveler targeting."
"In 2026, the threats most fans and employees will actually encounter won't hit the corporate firewall. They'll arrive as malicious links, fake ticketing pages, fraudulent streams, and look‑alike mobile apps, all delivered through SMS, messaging apps, social ads, and search results. During Paris 2024, law enforcement and researchers documented an explosion of fake Olympics ticket sites and malvertising; French authorities identified 338 fraudulent ticketing domains in circulation."
Organizers expect unprecedented digital engagement at Milano‑Cortina 2026, with billions of fans splitting attention across broadcast, apps, social, and streaming. Live sports consumption has shifted decisively to phones, increasing record traffic and app engagement observed during Paris 2024. Major events concentrate money, identity, and attention, creating optimal conditions for cybercriminals. European and U.S. authorities are on high alert, citing attempted intrusions and warning that ticketing, payment systems, and streaming are prime disruption targets. Threats will largely arrive via mobile channels as malicious links, fake ticketing pages, fraudulent streams, and look‑alike apps delivered through SMS, messaging apps, social ads, and search results. Prior Games experienced widespread Olympics‑themed phishing, fake apps, and DDoS, a pattern expected to recur.
Read at Securitymagazine
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