As “some 16,000 athletes, organizers, journalists, and other visitors are heading home” the question of whether attendees are taking Chinese cyber-espionage operations back home with them is up in the air. Now, the major concern is “what malware and other problems those who failed to heed the warnings might be carrying with them.”
Attendees Forewarned About Cyber-espionage
Several organizations and committees around the world warned international attendees that cyber-intrusions to their devices are expected while in China. Such organizations include the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, the Canadian Olympic Committee, the Dutch Olympic Committee, and others. The warning to all attendees was along the lines of: “Anything they do while online in China would be monitored.” Serious cybersecurity issues with the Chinese MY2022 app expected to be widely used by athletes were discovered last month in January, which had sparked concern ahead of the Games. The app was reverse-engineered then which unearthed shocking results. “I can definitively say all Olympian audio is being collected, analyzed and saved on Chinese servers using tech from USA blacklisted AI firm @iflytek1999″ said cybersecurity researcher Jonathan Scott. For reasons like this, athletes and other attendees were encouraged not to bring or use their personal devices to China, and to use disposable “burner” devices while at the Games instead.
Too Early to Confirm Cyber-incidents
Although cybersecurity specialists like Mandiant said there was no sign of any such intrusion activity at present “by the Chinese or other governments,” Mandiant’s director of cyber espionage analysis Benjamin Read said it’s too early to tell. “Most compromises are detected weeks or months after they occur,” said Read. Read had advised anyone traveling to China for the Winter Olympics to change their passwords upon return as well as ensure that “no unknown devices or services have access to their accounts.” The International Olympic Committee refused to say much more than the fact that cybersecurity is “an important aspect of hosting the Games.”
Athletes Turned to VPNs
Internet access was very important for the athletes attending the Winter Olympic games, to post all-important videos and photos of their feats on social media and Instagram, the AP reported. “It can be critical for landing sponsors.” However, Instagram is blocked in China like many other “Western” apps. Canadian snowboarder Laurie Blouin remarked that it is normal for all the athletes to be on their phones, “feeding the [Insta] ‘Grams.” Others including U.S.-born Chinese “freestyle skiing sensation” Eileen Gu were very active on Instagram during the Games. Athletes who walked a tight line accessed Instagram during this period by using VPNs which are also banned in China because of their “Great Firewall.” When asked, Eileen Gu said “anyone can download a VPN,” however Instagram posts began to disappear, the AP said. Attendees who did heed precautions and refused to risk breaking the rules said they were “looking forward to resuming their daily diet of streaming and social media” back home.
Why All the Surveillance?
The Chinese are not doing this to gain a competitive edge, or because they are interested in “the average snowboarder.” It is about profiling potential future high-profile figures “on the chance that the snowboarder would become a politician or a leader in a position of influence” as well as for anything else that is politically sensitive, said Greg Austin from the International Institute for Strategic Studies. This is common practice for the national intelligence of any country, he added. In fact, journalists “were arguably a juicier target than athletes,” which is why they brought “burner devices” with them to the Games. “Beijing has long been accused by the U.S. and technology watchdogs of widespread online snooping and data pilfering, allegations it denies,” the AP said. “China is by far the most advanced of the digital autocracies” stated Robert Potter, co-founder of cybersecurity company Internet 2.0. If you are feeling bold, find yourself in China, and would like to know how to clear the “Great Firewall of China” with a VPN, you can find out how to do so in our article on VPNs to use in China.
