The Olympic Data Fabric, Cybersecurity, and Renewable Energy During the Paris 2024 Olympics
Hebberly Ahatlan
Marketing director driving brand, market & revenue growth in AI, SaaS, & ICs.
Great news: the 2024 Paris Olympics are past the midway point without experiencing a serious cyberattack. Before the games, the French government mentioned that the Paris 2024 Olympics faced “an unprecedented level of threat.” The director general of ANSSI, Vincent Strubel, commented that “there will not be olympic games without attacks, but also stated that those attacks must be limited by advanced cybersecurity protocols.” ANSSI is the organization responsible for the management of the strategy for the prevention of cyberattacks at the Games.
Large scale sport events are modernizing in the same way as every other component of our world.? Healthcare, finance, manufacturing, and all other businesses are migrating their operations to digital platforms. The Olympic Games are no different. In Paris, from national and international TV broadcasting, to social media apps, to digital collection and analysis of athlete performance data, technology is present across every aspect of the Games.?
Along with forward thinking digitization schemes, the Paris Olympics implements renewable energy sources across all the venues. For instance, At the Aquatics Center, the pool water is kept warm by a system recovering heat from a nearby data center. In addition, photovoltaic panels installed on the roof provide around 20% of the building’s electricity needs.
Renewable energy and better management of the existing grid during the Games reduces carbon emissions, but bringing carbon reduction frameworks into the games means relying on digital platforms to optimize energy delivery, creating opportunities for cyber criminals to attack all the software platforms managing IoT devices and renewable energy devices at the Games.
Integrating digital security measures while implementing an effective renewable energy? infrastructure during the 2024 Paris Olympics requires effective means to protect critical infrastructure and to ensure the smooth operation of all digital systems. This involves continuous monitoring, advanced threat detection, and emergency response plans to mitigate potential cyber threats. France expects cyber attacks during the Olympics, particularly from Russia, and French cyber security defenders are preparing for them by studying and analyzing potential hackers' strengths, tactics and weaknesses.?
The 2024 Paris Olympics relies on renewable energy sources like solar and wind power to reduce the environmental impact of the Games. This includes investing in renewable infrastructure, ensuring efficient energy use, and maintaining backup systems to address the intermittency of renewables. The Paris 2024 Organizing Committee partnered with Enedis and EDF, which are major players in the French energy sector.
Enedis is the main electricity distribution network operator in France. Enedis manages the public electricity distribution network, ensuring the delivery of electricity to homes and businesses. They are responsible for maintaining and upgrading the infrastructure, connecting renewable energy sources, and ensuring the reliability of electricity supply.
EDF (électricité de France) is a leading electricity generation and supply company in France. It is one of the largest producers of electricity in the world, with a significant focus on renewable energy. EDF generates, transmits, and distributes electricity, and it has been a key player in the transition to sustainable energy through investments in wind, solar, and hydroelectric power.
Both companies are instrumental in supporting the Paris 2024 Olympics' commitment to renewable energy, but to ensure there are no cyber attacks on the grid during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, The Paris 2024 Organizing Committee not only has partnered with Enedis and EDF, but with major technology companies and government agencies to mitigate cyber threats – these include ANSSI, Eviden, Alibaba, Deloitte, Orange, and Cisco. ANSSI has mentioned that it is confident the Paris 2024 Olympics are safe and with robust cybersecurity in place.?
It is important to note that the 2024 Games are an example of decentralized data fabrics, where information is localized to certain regions and venues, yet it needs to be orchestrated seamlessly across the entire olympic ecosystem. Cybersecurity needs to mirror the framework of the Olympic digital data structure, which means, cybersecurity needs to be decentralized, and localized to protect information as it traverses the Olympic data fabric. As of now, the Paris 2024 organizers have created a secure and environmentally responsible event that sets a new standard for future global sporting events. However, bringing temporary renewable energy frameworks to a complex city like Paris, has its own negative environmental impact — as it has been highlighted by EarthDay's website. However, the implementation of renewable energy and robust cybersecurity at the Olympic Games is a step in the right direction that needs to be emulated in the upcoming LA Games and beyond.
Sources:?
领英推荐