Rising importance of security throughout Olympic history

Security at the Olympic Games has expanded dramatically since the 1970s, particularly after the killing of 11 Israeli hostages at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. The 2024 Paris Games set new standards for safeguarding a major international event, and preparations for the Winter Olympics in Italy have followed a similarly robust approach.

Ahead of the Milan–Cortina Games, scheduled for February 4–23, Italian officials announced the creation of a new cybersecurity headquarters staffed by personnel from multiple countries. The unit will analyze intelligence reports and respond to potential threats in real time, as highlighted in an article by The Conversation.

Broader security measures include the deployment of around 6,000 officers to protect the two main venues—Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo—along with a no-fly zone over key locations and continuous restricted-access perimeters around sensitive sites. Comparable precautions were seen during the Paris Games, where police established cordons along six kilometres of the Seine River.

Milipol Paris—one of the world’s largest annual policing and security conferences—reported that crime rates across France fell during the 2024 Olympics and that none of the anticipated major security incidents materialized. It noted that "the operation demonstrated the effectiveness of advanced planning, inter-agency cooperation and strong logistical coordination. Authorities and observers are now reflecting on which elements of the Paris 2024 model might be applied to future large-scale events."

Some of the personnel assigned to the cybersecurity headquarters will come from the United States. Traditionally, the US Diplomatic Security Service is responsible for protecting American athletes and officials attending major international events, a role it has played at the Olympics since 1976.

Attention intensified last month after reports emerged that some US officers would be drawn from “a unit of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE),” an agency currently facing significant public criticism following several fatal incidents during immigration raids in the United States.

However, US and Italian officials moved quickly to clarify the distinction between Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which focuses on cross-border crime, and Enforcement and Removal Operations, the branch associated with immigration enforcement actions that have sparked widespread protests for their methods.

HSI has previously supported athlete protection at international events and will be based at the US Consulate in Milan, where it will assist the broader American security contingent during the Games.

By Nazrin Sadigova