The Olympic and Paralympic Games 2024 in Paris were the sporting event of the year. With over 14,900 athletes and 11.2 million spectators at 35 venues, such an event not only excites sports fans but also serves as an attractive target for cybercriminals, hacktivists, or state actors. To address and prevent these threats, the French government tasked the cybersecurity authority ANSSI (Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d’information) to collaborate with selected partners from the private sector. Among these was aDvens, a leading independent European cybersecurity company, as well as the cybersecurity specialist Nozomi Networks.
The expertise and technology of both companies made it possible to design a cybersecurity strategy that ensured the Olympic Games could proceed without interruption caused by a cyberattack. The team of cybersecurity experts managed to design, implement, test, and manage a cybersecurity program in under six months to protect the water supply, venues, traffic control, accommodations, and other critical infrastructures surrounding the Olympic Games from cyberattacks. To achieve this, aDvens developed and implemented 13 Security Operations Centers (SOCs) nationwide in a very short time.
Detecting, classifying, and defending against threats
In the next step, aDvens conducted security checks, penetration tests, and red team exercises at over 15 venues and critical infrastructures with the help of Nozomi’s technology. Based on this initial assessment phase, over 125 Network Detection and Response (NDR) systems and 40,000 Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) sensors were implemented to close OT security gaps that could have compromised the games and the safety of athletes and fans.
aDvens also utilized technology from Nozomi Networks, which significantly contributed to the success of the defense measures. Nozomi Networks’ Vantage console and Guardian sensors enabled quick detection, classification, and defense against threats. Stéphane Potier, Head of OT & IoT Cybersecurity at aDvens, emphasizes: “Nozomi’s technology helped us quickly classify alerts, eliminate threats, and fend off several serious cyberattacks.”
The long-standing partnership between aDvens and Nozomi Networks played a crucial role in the success of the cybersecurity measures at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The key outcomes were:
- Successful management of 485,000 threat alerts over a two-month period
- Handling of 15 high-priority cyber incidents requiring immediate intervention
- Prevention of three attempted cyberattacks on video systems within the venues, which could have caused panic and psychological harm to visitors and television viewers
The 2024 Olympic Games in Paris demonstrate the importance of cybersecurity at large events. When many people gather for such events, attacking the technical infrastructure of the venues poses a risk of panic. The successful collaboration between aDvens and Nozomi Networks illustrates how essential partnerships are for protecting critical infrastructures and ensuring the safety of millions. By combining the expertise and technology of both companies, cyberattacks could be successfully repelled, ensuring the cybersecurity of the Olympic Games.
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