Olympic Update: Tokyo Seeks Technological Advances Amid Russian Cyberattacks

by Tomas Rodriguez 4

November 12th, 2019 Asia, International, News, Tokyo 2020

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games have been in the spotlight for a few months now due to their innovative measures to beat the summer heat, pollution, food safety, fraud, terrorism, and deadly outbreaks. While we have reported previously on some of the technology that will be present at the Games, new innovations are surfacing in the run-up to next summer’s Olympic and Paralympic Games. Here’s the latest in a new ‘Olympic Update.’

EUROSPORT PARTNERS WITH TWITTER FOR REAL-TIME COVERAGE DURING TOKYO 2020

Per Forbes, Eurosport will publish real-time highlights of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on Twitter, increasing the exposure of its coverage and opening up new commercial opportunities for possible sponsors.

The Discovery-owned broadcaster is the primary rights-holder to the Games across Europe, with the notable exception of Russia, and will offer comprehensive coverage of every single minute of the aforementioned.

TOKYO WILL OFFER ROBOT TAXI RIDES DURING THE GAMES

As reported by technology news outlet The Verge, has released some information about its test vehicles and the types of sensors it’s using, but we’ve seen very little of the cars in operation.

Toyota says it will be conducting a limited ride-hailing pilot in downtown Tokyo with its fleet of “SAE Level-4” automated vehicles. The abbreviature SAE stands for the Society of Automobile Engineers, and Level 4 is a reference to the group’s classification for an autonomous vehicle that can perform all of the driving tasks under a specific set of conditions, such as weather or geography.

Toyota may be calling its cars Level 4, but that doesn’t mean they will be completely driverless. Japanese law requires a safety driver behind the wheel at all times who is ready to intervene and take control when necessary.

GENETIC DRUG-TESTING COULD BE INTRODUCED FOR TOKYO 2020

According to the British outlet The Independent, genetic drug-testing could be in place for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, according to the president of the International Olympic Committee.

The technology, which will better help in the fight against blood doping, still requires approval from the World Anti-Doping Agency before it can be introduced.

RUSSIAN HACKERS TARGET THE 2020 GAMES

Per news outlet WIRED, Microsoft revealed in a blog post that the Russian hacking group known as Fancy Bear, APT28, or Strontium recently targeted no fewer than 16 anti-doping agencies around the world; in some cases those attacks were successful.

Microsoft notes that the hackers, long believed to be working in the service of the Russian military intelligence agency known as the GRU, began their attacks on September 16, just ahead of reports that the Worldwide Anti-Doping Agency had found “inconsistencies” in Russian athletes’ compliance with anti-doping standards.

The group is one of two Russian government groups responsible for the 2016 hack of the Democratic National Committee, as well as previous cyberattacks on sports and antidoping officials between 2014 and 2018.

The latest Russian cyberattacks could factor into WADA’s decision whether or not to punish Russia for possibly manipulating data at the center of the 2015 doping scandal.

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Yozhik
4 years ago

GRU (главное разведывательное управление) is word to word how CIA will be translated in Russian. I am wondering if CIA has units similar to Russian Fancy Bear. It will be stupid not to have them. Right? But why we never hear of them. Are Russian intelligence services more transparent? 😀
Just yesterday I heard on PBS about cyber attacks and USA ability to shut down Russian electrical grids in response on similar attacks. I was surprised to hear that cyber attacks of such magnitude against major USA electronic system allows nuclear response. That is how serious it is about cyber world.

Ger
4 years ago

Nothing’s happened yet and it’s already the Russians who did it.

scoobysnak
Reply to  Ger
4 years ago

Russian backed hackers already hacked WADA’s database. Did you not read the article?

Igor Vazhenin
Reply to  Ger
4 years ago

Do not you have any more lies to talk about?
Accuse Russia in every think in the world. Now days you would not be wrong doing this. Pathetic!