Winter Olympics Could Share Podium With Cyberattackers

Winter Olympics Could Share Podium With Cyberattackers outlines that the Milano Cortina Games, beginning on 6 February 2026, will attract not only athletes but cybercriminals and state-sponsored spies. According to Unit 42’s threat assessment, attacker interest will be driven by the sheer concentration of people, systems and data, with high-profile attendees offering lucrative targets for financially motivated actors, nation-state groups, and hacktivists.

Ransomware and other financially motivated actors are expected to target critical infrastructure such as ticketing systems and PoS terminals to extort victims, while nation-states are anticipated to spy on diplomats and NGOs gathered for the event.

The Unit 42 report identifies state-sponsored groups including Russia’s APT28, China’s Mustang Panda, and North Korea’s Kimsuky as capable of such activities at the Games, and hacktivists could use data leaks, doxxing and DDoS to broadcast messages to a global audience of around 3 billion people. Phishing and AI-enabled exploits are also highlighted, with attackers likely to impersonate trusted Winter Olympics partners to gain initial access.