False clues make it tough to find hackers

Medical data from some of the world’s leading athletes has been posted to the web and the World Anti-Doping Agency says Russians are to blame.

Even the hackers seem to agree, adopting the name “Fancy Bears” — a moniker long associated with the Kremlin’s electronic espionage operations.

But as cybersecurity experts pore over the hackers’ digital trail, they’re up against a familiar problem. The evidence has been packed with possible red herrings — including registry data pointing to France, Korean characters in the hackers’ code and a server based in California.

“Anybody can say they are anyone and it’s hard to disprove,” said Jeffrey Carr, the chief executive of consulting firm Taia Global and something of a professional skeptic when it comes to claims of state-backed hacking.

Many others in the cybersecurity industry see the Wada hack as a straightforward act of Russian revenge, but solid evidence is hard to find.

IOC president Thomas Bach said on Friday that he would ask Russian authorities for help to stop the hackers.

Later on Friday Wada announced Fancy Bears had posted another selection of hacked data to the web. This time, they targeted 11 athletes from the sports of boxing, cycling, rowing, shooting, swimming and tennis.

Meanwhile, Olympic rowing gold medallist Kim Brennan said it was outrageous to link life-saving medical treatment to doping, after she was one of several Australians identified by computer hackers who have targeted the Wada.