Russia Hacked the Olympics, Framed North Korea, US Officials Say

Russia hacked the 2018 Olympic Games in South Korea and then tried to pin it on North Korea, two anonymous U.S. officils told The Washington Post.

Several hundred computers used by authorities were targeted by Russian military spies in the cyberattack, which was made to appear as a North Korean intrusion, the officials told the Post.

Pyeongchang officials confirmed a cyberattack had taken place during the opening ceremonies of the games and that internet and television services were affected but a source was not revealed, Reuters noted.

Speculation now puts Russia at the forefront of the cyberattacks, which is said to be retaliation against the International Olympic Committee for placing a ban on the Russian team in the Winter Games after it violated doping policies.

Some athletes were still allowed to compete, but under a neutral banner, and many associated with the Russian state doping program were prohibited from taking part in the games, The Guardian reported.

In days leading up to the Olympics, cybersecurity researchers claimed to have found evidence that Russian hackers were planning attacks against the Olympic organization in retaliation to the country's exclusion from the games, Reuters said.

Russia dismissed these claims as unfounded but, according to an intelligence report obtained by The Washington Post, the Russian military agency GRU had access to as many as 300 Olympic-related computers.

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