Industries Under Threat During the 2024 Olympics

With the Olympic spotlight, industries such as travel, hospitality, ticketing, and retail are particularly vulnerable, experiencing not only a spike in traffic and transactions but also an increase in cyber threats. Data from past global events underscores the urgency for these sectors to fortify their digital defenses against ticket scalping, social engineering, and bot-driven fraud.

During the Olympic Games, certain industries are particularly vulnerable to cyberattacks due to their increased visibility and the surge in customer engagement. The top industries likely to be targeted during the 2024 Paris Olympics include:

Travel & Hospitality

With a significant influx of tourists for the Olympics, airlines, hotels, and travel booking platforms will see a surge in online bookings. This makes them prime targets for DDoS attacks, payment fraud, and ATO aimed at stealing personal and payment information.

E-Commerce & Retail

The Olympic Games often inspire themed merchandise, limited edition products, and special promotions. E-commerce platforms and retail businesses could face sophisticated bot attacks performing inventory hoarding (scalping), credential stuffing, and payment fraud.

Media & Broadcasting

As official broadcasters and media outlets stream live events and provide round-the-clock coverage, they become attractive targets for cyberattacks seeking to disrupt services, spread malware via malicious ads, or execute credential stuffing attacks to gain unauthorized access to premium content.

Sports Betting & Gambling

The heightened interest in Olympic outcomes can lead to increased activity on betting and gambling sites, making them susceptible to DDoS attacks, account takeover attempts, and payment fraud.

Financial Services

Banks and payment processors will handle high volumes of transactions related to Olympic ticket sales, merchandise purchases, and travel bookings. This could attract attackers looking to intercept financial transactions, steal credentials, or perpetrate credit card fraud.

Ticketing Platforms

These platforms are at risk of bot-driven ticket scalping, where bots buy up tickets en masse to resell them at inflated prices, as well as payment fraud and phishing attacks targeting eager Olympic spectators.

Social Networks & Forums

Platforms hosting Olympic fan discussions and social interactions may face influence fraud, including increased spam, misinformation campaigns, and phishing attempts designed to exploit fans’ enthusiasm.

Public Sector & Government

Government websites and digital infrastructure related to the Olympics (for ticket sales, tourist information, etc.) might be targeted by cyberattacks aiming at disrupting public services or spreading propaganda.

Strategies for Mitigation

Advanced Bot Detection & Mitigation

Emphasizing the importance of advanced bot detection, DataDome offers comprehensive bot management solutions that effectively distinguish between legitimate users and malicious bots, employing machine learning algorithms to ensure seamless security. DataDome protects against the majority of the top threats businesses will face during the 2024 Olympics: ATO, scraping, scalping, DDoS, card cracking, credential stuffing, vulnerability scanning, and more.

Enhancing Account Security

To combat account takeovers and credential stuffing, enhancing account security is paramount. Implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) and monitoring login attempts can significantly deter unauthorized access, safeguarding user data. DataDome Account Protect monitors user-centric and business data signals to stop ATO and fake account creation before they happen, from the very first attempt.

Ad Fraud Protection

With increased advertising during the Olympics, businesses must protect their investments from ad fraud. DataDome Ad Protect ensures that digital marketing resources are efficiently utilized, alerting you to fraudulent activity on your digital ad campaigns.

DataDome is Here to Lend a Hand

Recognizing the unique challenges posed by the Paris 2024 Olympics, DataDome’s new Premium SOC offering for French companies exemplifies the firm’s commitment to safeguarding businesses from sophisticated cyber threats. This proactive initiative underscores DataDome’s role as a cybersecurity stalwart, offering solutions designed to protect businesses during the Olympics and beyond.

Prepare Now With a Proactive Cybersecurity Posture

The 2024 Paris Olympics presents a golden opportunity for businesses to showcase their resilience and innovation by adopting a comprehensive, proactive cybersecurity posture. By understanding the threat landscape, embracing industry-specific security measures, and leveraging solutions such as those offered by DataDome, businesses can ensure a secure digital environment for their customers.

Learn more about how DataDome can secure your business ahead of the 2024 Olympics by requesting a free trial.