Milan Cortina 2026 in the crosshairs of hackers

Expectations are high for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics: high visibility, millions of visitors and unique opportunities for local businesses. But such an important event, with a complex network of services and infrastructures, also brings with it high risks for IT security.

Raising the alarm are researchers from Unit 42, part of the cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks, who in their new report 'Cyber Threats to Milan-Cortina 2026' highlight the potential vulnerabilities of this event from a cyber perspective. The study recalls past incidents in which the Olympics have been targeted by cybercriminals: at PyeongChang 2018, Wi-Fi was disrupted and other digital infrastructures were affected; at Tokyo 2020, Russian hackers tried to sabotage activities before the Games; and finally, at Paris 2024, an increase in DDoS (Distributed Denial-of-Service) attacks, Olympic-themed phishing attempts, and scam traffic was observed.

"The Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games will attract attacks of all kinds, from state actors down to petty crooks," the report states. The main threat comes mainly from 'ransomware gangs', criminal groups that carry out cyber attacks for profit. The goal of these groups is to extort money from victims by encrypting and stealing data, or to create a bottleneck by disrupting critical systems. But Unit 42 also warns against state actors who can infiltrate to steal confidential data and information, and against hacktivist groups that often disseminate sensitive material to weaken and delegitimise targets by amplifying their ideological message.

Special watchers are not only digital targets, but also the physical infrastructure that handles payment instruments and means of transport, such as the underground. "According to our research," the experts say on the report's website, "phishing remains the most common initial access vector. But the Winter Games will offer a high volume of potential victims, especially since hackers are using AI to create more credible phishing materials."

For Unit 42, attackers could target critical infrastructure, transportation systems, ticketing systems and terminal pos. "The integration of so many elements often creates complexity and security gaps that attackers can exploit," the study explains. In the context of the 2026 Winter Games, according to the researchers, attacks are also targeting contact systems, such as turnstiles in subways, stadiums and the websites for purchasing tickets. All this with the aim of 'Creating chaos to steal sensitive data and spread computer viruses'