Winter Olympics Security Scrutinized Less than a Month Before Games Start

Winter Olympics Security Scrutinized Less than a Month Before Games Start

The security of the Winter Olympics is analyzed just days before the Games kick off in Pyeongchang.

  • By Sydny Shepard
  • Jan 18, 2018

With just less than a month until the Winter Olympics start in Pyeongchang, South Korea many are scrutinizing the security of the event given the high tensions with neighboring North Korea, which has conducted over a dozen ballistic missile tests in the past year.

South Korea began beefing up their security ahead of the Winter Olympics. Gen. Jeong Kyeong-doo, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) affirmed that the military will provide "maximum support" for the success of the event to open next month. The defense ministry plans to deploy approximately 5,000 armed forces to the Games. Hundreds of armed personnel have already participated in security drills in front of the Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium to prepare against terror attacks, according to Reuters.

Kyeong-doo called for his troops to be alert against the treat of terror attacks by ISIS and other international terror organizations. South Korea has identified and deported at least "17 foreigners who could potentially pose a terrorist menace to the Olympics."

In addition to physical security, the Winter Olympics is also looking to bolster its cybersecurity following a report by cybersecurity firm McAfee that found malware-infected emails were sent last month to organizations linked to the Games.

The emails were sent from a Singapore IP address and told readers to open a text document in Korean. McAfee said the hackers were trying to trick recipients into believing the emails had come from South Korea's Nation Counter-Terrorism Center, which at the time was in the process of conducting anti-terror drill in the region.

The report did not say who was responsible, but did say that more attacks like these would be likely during the games.

 

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

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