NBC: Visitors to Sochi Olympics immediately hacked

Whose idea was it to have the Olympics in Russia again? This has disaster written all over it:

“As tourists and families of athletes arrive in Sochi, if they haven’t been warned, and if they fire up their phones at baggage claim, it’s probably too late to save the integrity of their electronics and everything inside them. Visitors to Russia can expect to be hacked. And as Richard Engel found out upon his arrival there, it’s not a matter of if, but when,” reports NBC’s Brian Williams.

Engel says, “The State Department warns that travelers should have no expectation of privacy. Even in their hotel rooms. And as we found out, you are especially exposed as soon as you try and communicate with anything.”

“One of the first thing visitors to Russia will do is log on,” says Engel. “Hackers here are counting on it.”

They test the system in the report — and are, as one might expect, immediately hacked the moment the test computer connects with the Russian network.

“Malicious software hijacked our phone before we even finished our coffee, stealing my information, and giving hackers the option to tap and record my phone calls.”

(h/t: Weekly Standard)


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