Symantec exposes World Cup scams
Phishing spike expected ahead of 2010 tournament
By Carrie-Ann Skinner | PC Advisor | Published: 09:40, 12 February 2010
Symantec has unveiled a dedicated website aimed to inform web users about scams targeting this year's football World Cup in South Africa.
The security vendor revealed that hackers are likely to exploit fans interested in not only searching for news about the tournament, but also those desperate to secure tickets to the matches. Symantec said phishing attacks surged by 66 percent during the Beijing Olympics in 2008, and it expects a similar spike during the World Cup.
"Historically, any large scale sporting event has shown an increase in all kinds of cyberthreats," said Wood, senior analyst at Symantec Hosted Services.
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The security firm revealed it has already installed additional sensors to monitor traffic in South Africa and will alert web users of scams on the 2010 Net Threat site, along with advice on how web users can protect themselves .
"As an example, two of our configured partners in Africa have submitted 27 unique malicious files so far that have not been seen elsewhere by Symantec," said Wood
"The rule is, if something looks too good to be true, then it's likely to be a scam," said Gordon Love, Africa regional director, Symantec. "Attackers are always finding new ways of duping people into disclosing their personal information. Being well informed and alert is as important as keeping up to date with the latest protection software updates."
