‘Just the ticket!’

I was driving home yesterday and listening to the news on the radio. The news item that caught my attention and interest was that ballot for tickets for London 2012 was now open and you can apply for it a online. I said to myself: ‘here we go again’. High profile sporting events, like this, provide an opportunity to the cybercriminals. Now, the London games are still some two years away and the official website is at pains to point out that no tickets are actually for sale at this point in time. However, a piece in ‘The Times Online’ today outlines some of the online shenanigans that are ongoing with respect to another high profile and imminent sporting event: the World Cup.

With only 79 days to go, we can see a wave of spam email and fake offers filling the internet. Major events such as the World Cup see an increase in online attacks. We here at Symantec found that attacks increased by 40 per cent before the 2006 World Cup and 66 per cent during the 2008 Olympics. Sadly, it looks like this is set to be repeated if not surpassed in the run through to this year’s World Cup.

The advice has to be for you to be very suspicious of emails that you receive offering you amazing bargains or exclusive access to tickets, flights or accommodation. Do not click on any attachments to these emails or links. If you have signed up with an official and recognised ticketing organisation, then you should expect emails. If you have not, then delete emails that you get offering you this stuff. If you are interested in attending the World Cup, tickets so far have been sold exclusively through the Fifa website and the game’s world governing body has warned fans to be sure they are buying only from authorised companies selling official tour packages or tickets.

Being a Scotsman, I can only hope that I will be looking to buy a ticket to the next UEFA European football championships, in Poland/Ukraine, in 2012!

March 23, 2010 | Filed Under Announcements, Security 

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