Hackers: The Team to beat at this year’s World Cup

The FIFA World Cup has already set a new records for internet-video streaming this year, with the USA-Ghana match pulling in 1.4 million viewers to become the largest –ever event for WatchESPN. But when soccer fans download world cup apps to their phones, or stream matches on their iPads, many will be completely exposed to this new virtual playground for hackers.

The global reach of these world cup networks, combined with hackers’ tendency to tie attacks to big events, will leave many in need of more secure networks and tips to keep their information and devices safe.

So if you’re planning on digitally taking part as the World Cup competition heats up, here are some tips to keep the hackers at bay:

Only log into secure Wi-Fi connections with password protection, avoiding public networks. Open connections do not encrypt messaging of any type, and could potentially be fake networks that are set up to obtain any information you send through the network.
If you must use a public Wi-Fi connection, avoid entering credit card information and passwords that can be tracked by hackers on the network.
Be suspicious of all emails and links from unknown senders. A misspelled link is often a clue that the link is corrupt, and if a free ticket offer to a game seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Beware of unofficial apps or apps that require an extraordinary number of permissions. Unofficial apps like, Fifa 2014 Free – World Cup and Corner Kick World Cup 2014, have already been flagged as potential threats. Even the official FIFA World Cup 2014 Live Match Android app has been criticized for the large amount of permissions it requests in order to function.
Bring your own charger. Kiosks that allow you to charge your phone in public places may seem like a great idea, but some are not to be trusted. The same cord that allows you to charge your phone, can also allow someone else to download your information.

While these simple tips and tricks are sufficient avoidance techniques in the World Cup watching world, hardware encrypted chips for mobile devices can actually offer a much more secure firewall against hackers in such high-risk environments. Koolspan’s TrustChip is a hardware-based chip that can be embedded or attached to any mobile device and encode all voice and text data that passes through the hardware-anchored security platform, providing fans with military-grade protection against the best hackers.

For more information, contact KoolSpan, or call us at (240) 880-4400.

Francis Knott

Francis Knott has over 17 years of mobility, technology, interactive media, software and healthcare experience. Mr Knott is an expert at building companies, growing revenue and launching and marketing new products. In the past, he has worked in software and product development, mobile social media, and mobile applications development.