World Cup Threatened With Possible Cyberattack

Based on a survey of security professionals who attended Infosecurity Europe 2018, the majority expect a cybeattack at this year’s World Cup, which kicks off Thursday (June 14).

According to security firm Lastline’s survey, which it revealed in a blog post, it found that 72 percent of those cybersecurity professionals polled think a hack is likely. The World Cup is being held in Russia for the first time, with the opening match between Russia and Saudi Arabia. Lastline said this underscores a new trend in which hackers are going after high profile international events. It pointed to the attack that brought down the Winter Olympics website in February.  “Cybercriminals do not exist in a vacuum,” said Andy Norton, director of threat intelligence at Lastline. “They will be aware of the immense media scrutiny the World Cup will be under, and will be hoping to capitalize on this as well as the financial opportunities such a unique event presents.”

The survey found that of the security professionals who think an attack is likely, many expect the attack to focus on network infrastrucutre and could come in the form of a DDoS attack or an attack targeted on social media. What’s more, 44 percent predict it could come via email, while 47 percent said mobile is also at risk from a hack. “While we do not know where the threat will come from, or what form it will take, it’s highly likely that cybercriminals are devising plans for a cyberattack,” continued Norton. “The attack vectors used will vary depending on the threat actor and their individual motivations. An event like this, we could see many different forms of attack — from fake ticket spam to infiltration attempts into governing body infrastructures, or even destructive payloads as witnessed at the recent winter Olympics.” While most expect an attack, they aren’t too worried, with 83 percent of those polled saying the World Cup doesn’t pose any risks to their businesses.