The FIFA World Cup has taken over the world. Whether you only watched for the United States Men’s National Team or watch every single game, you know it is a big deal. Everyone’s watching, but are you watching out? Did you know that the World Cup provides yet another way for cybercriminals to take advantage of you? And there’s a history to prove it.
In both 2014 and 2018, there were cyber threats and attacks launched during the World Cup.
The attack in 2014 was performed by an anonymous hacking group. The group targeted the official FIFA World Cup website, as well as sponsor websites and even Brazilian government sites. The attack would hack the computer and absorb the victims’ information.
In 2018, however, the attacks multiplied. One of the attacks was an android app disguised as a streaming platform for the World Cup. The app was well-created to look official. Instead, the app would download malware onto devices to hack into them and perform malicious activities.
Another malware used during the 2018 World Cup was disguised as a document predicting the outcome of various games. When a user would download the document, the file had attachments that were downloaded to the device as well. These attachments included many files and files within files and files hidden within those files…you get it. One of the many hidden and embedded files would allow hackers to search for sensitive information including credit card information, passwords, and documents.
Technology, as we all know, rapidly evolves. It is impossible to know the rate at which cybercriminals are becoming more sophisticated and what they have planned for this year’s tournament.
So far, there has been an attack on the company that owns the broadcasting rights to the World Cup in Sub-Saharan Africa. The attack was viral and ultimately reached one of their servers, but they do not know who conducted the cybercrime.
While we do not know what kinds of attacks cybercriminals will use this year, we can tell you a few tips to keep your data safe.
Be wary of emails – They may look legitimate, but just to be safe do not click on any links until you know for sure.
Make sure you are streaming from an official and safe site – Streaming is one of the main ways that many people globally are watching the World Cup, so it could be a hotspot for suspicious activity. Keep an eye on cybersecurity news. Even the most reliable companies can be victims of an attack.
We know some employees may stream the final games during work hours, so it is important to make sure they are doing it safely and without sacrificing the company’s data and security. If something should happen, please do not hesitate to contact Restech. Our engineers are equipped with expert-level knowledge and the qualifications to get the job done. We won’t just kick it right back to you.
