Olympics
RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS CHARGED IN US FOR PYEONGCHANG 2018 CYBER-ATTACK
Six Russian intelligence officers have been charged in the United States in an alleged global computer hacking operation that included the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang.
According to US Federal Prosecutors, the Russian officers unleashed corrupted software system known as “Olympic Destroyer” to disrupt the Pyeongchang 2018 Opening Ceremony.
It has been claimed that the Russian intelligence officers were planning a similar attack on this year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, which were subsequently postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The six Russians named are Yuriy Sergeyevich Andrienko, 32; Sergey Vladimirovich Detistov, 35; Pavel Valeryevich Frolov, 28; Anatoliy Sergeyevich Kovalev, 29; Artem Valeryevich Ochichenko, 27; and Petr Nikolayevich Pliskin, 32.
The defendants are charged with conspiracy to conduct computer fraud and abuse, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, damaging protected computers and aggravated identity theft in an indictment returned by a Federal Grand Jury in Pittsburgh.
They are all currently in Russia and it is unlikely they will ever face the charges in court.
Details of the attack on Pyeongchang 2018 were revealed today by America’s Assistant Attorney General John Demers, chief of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
Demers alleged that the operatives working for the Russian military intelligence service – known as the GRU – linked to Russia’s alleged campaign to interfere with the 2016 US election won by Donald Trump.
Today’s indictment does not include that event but does allege the group tried to disrupt the 2017 election in France and undermine Governments in Ukraine and Georgia, as well as sabotage computer networks during Pyeongchang 2018.
It is alleged that the Russian hackers were seeking retaliation by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decision to ban the country from competing under its own flag at Pyeongchang 2018 because of allegations of state-sponsored doping.
“No country has weaponised its cyber capabilities as maliciously and irresponsibly as Russia, wantonly causing unprecedented collateral damage to pursue small tactical advantages and to satisfy fits of spite,” Demers told a media conference in Washington D.C.
“The conspirators, feeling the embarrassment of international penalties related to Russia’s state-sponsored doping programme, i.e, cheating, took it upon themselves to undermine the Games.
“Their cyber-attack combined the emotional maturity of a petulant child with the resources of a nation state.”
The hack during the Pyeongchang 2018 Opening Ceremony on February 9 also affected several broadcasts of the event by knocking out television screens.
Additionally, it affected the Pyeongchang 2018 websites, leaving fans unable to print tickets so they could attend the Opening Ceremony.
It is claimed that it was a “false-flag operation” by Russia’s military intelligence who had used data-deletion malware to launch the attack.
Organisers later claimed the attack had not compromised any critical part of their operations.
The allegations are not new but it is the first time that a foreign law enforcement agency has publicly accused the GRU of being behind the attacks.
Prosecutors have even made public the specific GRU building they believe the attacks emanated from – 22 Kirova Street in Moscow, which the Justice Department indictment refers to as “the Tower”.
At the same time in Britain, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and National Cyber Security Centre claimed the GRU had conducted cyber reconnaissance against organisers, logistics services and sponsors with the intent of compromising computer systems and sabotaging the running of Tokyo 2020.
Last year, Russia was handed a four-year ban from all major sports events, including the Olympics, by the World Anti-Doping Agency for manipulating athletes’ doping data involved in the original investigation into the allegations of state-sponsored doping.
An appeal against the decision is due to be heard at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne between November 2 and 5, but if Russia lose the country’s flag will be absent for a second consecutive Olympic Games at Tokyo 2020.
Britain’s Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab condemned the actions of the Russian hackers carrying out the alleged attacks.
“The GRU’s actions against the Olympic and Paralympic Games are cynical and reckless,” he said.
“We condemn them in the strongest possible terms.
“The UK will continue to work with our allies to call out and counter future malicious cyber attacks.”
The IOC did not address the specific issue of the attack on Pyeongchang 2018 when asked for a comment by insidethegames.
“The IOC and the Organising Committees of the Olympic Games have identified cyber security as a priority area and invest a lot to offer the Olympic Games the best cyber security environment possible,” they said.
“Given the nature of the topic, we do not divulge those measures.”
-insidethegames
By Kunle Solaja.
Nigeria’s senior women’s national team, the Super Falcons, will begin their campaign for a place at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games from the second round of the African qualifiers after being granted a bye in the opening stage.
The draw, conducted on Wednesday in Cairo by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), placed Nigeria among 29 higher-ranked teams exempted from the first round of the series.
The Super Falcons will take on the winner of the first-round clash between South Sudan and Comoros in their opening fixture of the qualifiers.
A total of 35 nations are competing for just two available slots allocated to Africa for the women’s football tournament at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, underlining the intensity and high stakes of the qualification process.
The qualifiers will be contested over five knockout rounds on a home-and-away basis, leaving little room for error as teams battle for continental representation on the global stage.
The first round involves the six lowest-ranked teams—Sudan, Mauritius, Djibouti, South Sudan, Madagascar and Comoros—based on the latest FIFA Women’s World Rankings. Winners from this stage will advance to face each other again before the 29 seeded teams, including Nigeria, enter the fray.
Nigeria will be aiming to consolidate their status among Africa’s elite women’s football nations, having qualified for the most recent Olympic tournament alongside Zambia at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Although the Super Falcons boast a notable Olympic pedigree, having made their debut at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and subsequently appearing at Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and Paris 2024, qualification has not always been easy.
The 16-year gap between their last two participations in Beijing 2008 and Paris 2024 illustrates the tough time they have endured in the qualifying series.
With the women’s football event at Los Angeles 2028 set to feature 16 teams—including hosts the United States—Nigeria’s path to qualification is expected to be demanding.
Attention will now shift to the preliminary encounter between South Sudan and Comoros, as Nigeria’s technical crew intensify preparations ahead of their second-round entry point.
For the Super Falcons, the mission is clear: successfully navigate a rigorous qualifying campaign and secure a return to the Olympic stage in 2028.
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Nigeria’s senior women’s national team, the Super Falcons, will on Wednesday discover their route to the football event of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles when the Confederation of African Football conducts the official draw in Cairo.
The draw ceremony, scheduled for April 29 at CAF headquarters in Egypt, will set in motion Africa’s qualifying campaign for the women’s football tournament of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
A total of 35 countries, including Nigeria, will participate in the race for just two tickets allocated to Africa for the Olympic football event, which will take place from July 11 to 29, 2028.
Alongside Nigeria, other contenders include continental heavyweights such as South Africa, Cameroon, Ghana, Morocco and Zambia, as well as a wide range of emerging nations from across the continent.
The full list of participating teams also features Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
According to CAF, the qualification series will be played over five rounds, gradually narrowing the field to the two teams that will fly Africa’s flag at the Olympics in the United States.
For Nigeria, Africa’s most successful women’s national team, the qualifiers present another opportunity to reaffirm their continental dominance and secure a return to the Olympic stage after recent mixed fortunes in global competitions.
The Super Falcons, nine-time African champions, are expected to be among the top seeds when the draw is conducted, a factor that could influence their early-round opponents.
Wednesday’s ceremony in Cairo will therefore provide clarity on the fixtures, timelines and potential hurdles facing Nigeria and other contenders as the road to Los Angeles officially begins.
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By Kunle Solaja.
Morocco’s senior women’s national team will on Wednesday learn their opponents and qualification pathway to the football event of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games when the Confederation of African Football stages the official draw in Cairo.
The draw, billed for April 29 at CAF headquarters in Egypt, marks the starting point of Africa’s qualifying campaign, with 35 nations set to battle for just two coveted Olympic slots.
For Morocco, the exercise represents another significant step in the country’s rapidly rising profile in women’s football. The Atlas Lionesses, who have emerged as one of Africa’s most improved sides in recent years, will be aiming to secure a historic qualification for the Olympic Games.
The North Africans will face stiff competition from traditional powerhouses such as Nigeria, South Africa, Cameroon and Ghana, alongside other ambitious sides including Zambia and Senegal.
Also in the race are Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
CAF confirmed that the qualifiers will unfold across five rounds, with the field gradually trimmed down until only two teams remain to represent Africa at the Olympics in the United States from July 11 to 29, 2028.
Morocco are expected to be among the seeded teams for the early rounds, a reflection of their recent performances on the continental stage, including their strong showing at recent Women’s Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.
Wednesday’s draw in Cairo will therefore be crucial in determining Morocco’s early matchups and the potential obstacles on their path, as they seek to translate recent progress into a maiden appearance at the Olympic Games.
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