An increase in online scams is expected ahead of the FIFA World Cup, warns a Dubai-based cybersecurity expert, warning people to beware of fake and fraudulent websites and emails that can look official.
“It is fair to consider that there will always be an increase in online scams around significant large-scale events,” Emad Fahmy, Systems Engineering Manager for the Middle East at cybersecurity firm NETSCOUT, told Al Arabiya English in a recent interview. interview on Wednesday.
Fahmy said cybercriminals often use mega-events like the FIFA World Cup, which kicks off on November 21 in Qatar, “as a pretext to lure and catch unsuspecting fans or users.”
While maintaining connectivity during a major event like the World Cup can be challenging, the even bigger challenge is keeping user data secure.
“During events of this magnitude, malicious actors often take advantage of their [the event’s] escalate and intensify attacks on critical cloud infrastructure with new and sophisticated tactics, such as exploiting and identifying stolen credentials to amplify ransomware attacks,” he said.
“Attendees can often expect to encounter numerous fake and fraudulent official-looking websites and emails, enticing them to find cheap tickets, and simply streaming and watching these events live will expose them to multiple additional scams.”
Fahmy warned that the use of unauthorized service providers can result in the theft of credentials, passwords and credit card information. Other threats include falling victim to ransomware or malware that can infect a user’s phone or computer.
“These can cause the unwitting victim to spread the malware to family and friends, lose sensitive data, or even suffer significant financial consequences,” it added.
Attack Mitigation
A “rigorous and comprehensive approach” needs to be taken when dealing with mega-events, Fahmy said, urging the need to incorporate more than just basic security standards.
“The organizations that are involved in these events must take additional responsibility in developing and operating the security necessary to create a more secure software system,” Fahmy said.
“There is no better way to mitigate cyber attacks [during] events so prominent that I first understand them thoroughly.”
The cybersecurity expert urged users to approach digital communication or website links in connection with the World Cup with caution.
Users should avoid clicking on suspicious emails or website links and ensure that they are always using the latest versions of web browsers and never enter their login, password or credit card information on suspicious websites as there is a high probability that they could be scams, waiting to catch the next victim.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup will take place in Doha, Qatar, from November 21 to December 18.
The long-awaited event is the first World Cup to be hosted in a Middle Eastern country.
According to FIFA, 1.8 million match tickets were sold in the first two sales batches, but the Federation has not yet mentioned the total number of tickets that will be available./agencies
