FYI, Qatar is currently hosting the 22nd FIFA World Cup (November 20th to December 18th). Cyber scammers can hardly miss such an opportunity. The 2018 World Cup in Russia was watched by 3.6 billion people (more than half of the world's 4-year-olds and older), and the attendance figure for the World Cup in Qatar is unlikely to be lower. Based on our analysis of the major cyber threats to fans at major sporting events in recent years, we recommend staying vigilant during the World Cup.
Fake Sites
In recent years, ahead of every major sporting festival, our experts have observed an increase in domain registrations based on the name of each event. Most of these sites have been used for scams like offering fake tickets or offering free live shows.
This year's World Cup is no exception. At the start, experts found several fraudulent pages on the social network and more than 170 domains disguised as official World Cup resources.
Most are phishing sites that attempt to steal user data, but some new cryptocurrency-based scams have been added along with existing scams (ticket giveaways, souvenir sales). Football fans are invited to bet on the outcome by investing in new tokens created specifically for the tournament or using payouts in crypto or NFT art. Of course, you will need to share your crypto wallet details to receive your "prize".
Mobile apps are another classic attack vector, specifically targeting Android users. By the start of the World Cup, more than 50 instances of mobile malware had been detected, installing malicious software on devices, asking to pay for fake tickets, or broadcasting or stealing personal data such as passwords, mail accounts, and card numbers.
Studies of past championships show that victims of sports-related scams are usually casual fans who seek out streaming sites or install sports apps for the first time. So, in addition to our general advice (don't visit questionable sites or download questionable applications), we'll add another useful tip. If you are a beginner, ask a friend who has been interested in the sport for a long time. They will be able to suggest the best places to live stream or place bets, which will help you avoid overtime sites and scam apps.
Issue in Privacy
However, even official apps do not guarantee protection against personal data leaks. On the eve of the current World Cup, warnings about privacy concerns in an app that visitors to Qatar had to install had already been heard. Similar vulnerabilities have been found in Chinese apps that guests of this year's Winter Olympics have to install that could spy on users.
But if you think these issues only affect certain countries, alas, personal data leaks happen everywhere. The usernames and passwords of people who bought tickets for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics (which will be held in 2021 due to covid disruption) have been leaked, giving cybercriminals access to large amounts of personal data on fan accounts, including names, addresses, and banks. has been able to Details. And in 2018, the official app for La Liga, the Spanish soccer league, was caught using the microphone and GPS access of users' devices to track people watching illegal broadcasts. Of course, La Liga refused to eavesdrop on users because the audio clips they recorded were encrypted. But how can this be verified and who has heard these recordings?
Therefore, the general security rule, which also applies to official apps, is to minimize personal data and access to other apps and systems on the smartphone. If your host country requires installing apps with extended rights, use a burner phone instead of your primary device.
Free Wifi Threats
During the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil, Kaspersky researchers found that about a quarter of Wi-Fi hotspots in stadiums had little or no security. A similar study during the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia found significantly more unprotected Wi-Fi networks.
So, if you are traveling to Qatar, take all precautions when using public Wi-Fi.
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