The Polish anti-doping agency POLADA recently fell victim to a significant cyberattack believed to be orchestrated by hackers affiliated with a “hostile state.” The breach resulted in the leak of over 50,000 confidential files, including medical records and testing histories of Polish athletes. A spokesperson for POLADA indicated that the group behind the attack, Beregini, self-identifies as a Ukrainian hacker collective and claims to have targeted POLADA as a form of protest, accusing the Olympic Games of being used as a tool for political oppression. This group has previously aligned with other pro-Russian actors, known for spreading disinformation and harassing Ukrainian military personnel.
POLADA’s website went offline following the attack, remaining inaccessible as of Tuesday. In response, POLADA has been working with Poland’s national Police, CERT Poland, the Ministry of Sport and Tourism, and other regulatory bodies to secure its systems and limit any additional exposure of sensitive data. Affected athletes have been notified, and some, including Polish cyclist Wojciech Pszczolarski, have shared their notices online, revealing that the leaked data includes personal details such as names, addresses, emails, and phone numbers.
The exact nature of Beregini’s organizational structure and affiliations remains unclear. A report from Mandiant in 2022 suggested that certain pro-Russian hacktivist groups, while self-proclaimed, might operate independently of the Russian state. However, Mandiant has also identified several groups likely to be state-supported, using tools associated with Russia’s GRU intelligence agency. This particular attack against POLADA has prompted further speculation regarding possible state sponsorship behind Beregini’s actions.
As tensions around the Olympic Games continue, Russian and Belarusian athletes have faced restrictions due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and prior state-sponsored doping scandals. For Ukraine, the human toll has been immense, with the British government reporting that 487 Ukrainian athletes have lost their lives in the conflict. The ongoing violence has also contributed to Ukraine’s smallest Olympic representation to date, with only 140 athletes participating in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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