High profile events have always been used by cybercriminals to distribute malware and conduct scams. The upcoming Olympic Games is no exception. As employees and families view Olympics related content at work and at home, its likely we’ll see recycled tactics such as phishing e-mail, malvertising, and malicious mobile apps designed to compromise information systems and accounts. It’s a good time for a reminder to use caution, especially during such high publicity events.
What are we likely to see?
Phishing
It is highly likely that the 2018 Winter Olympics will be popular phishing email fodder for cybercriminals. Phishing email will have links to malicious websites advertising information such as live coverage, news stories or even ticket sales. These websites are likely to contain malware or attempt to steal login credentials. Users who follow phishing links or open malicious attachments risk compromising NSHE networks and systems by disclosing their credentials or downloading malware.
Olympic Coverage
Some cybercriminals will create sites that masquerade as legitimate platforms to find out information about the Olympics but these sites will attempt to download and install malware when you visit them. Be careful of URL’s (the website name you see in the browser) that look like official sites as cybercrimianls have been registering these types of domains for some time now. This tactic has already been used with themes relevant to live streaming the 2018 Olympic Games.
Mobile Apps
Some cybercriminals will attempt to upload Olympics themed mobile apps with capabilities to steal information. Some will attempt to hijack your social media accounts or collect contact information from you device. These bad actors have already been uploading apps to the Google Play Store claiming to be official applications.
Be especially vigilent about the websites you visit to get information about the Olympics. Also, don’t follow links or open attachments you receive in email, especially unsolicited email claiming to give you access to Olympic coverage. Only visit trusted websites regarding the Olympics and know that official coverage will be provided by the Olympics website and NBC Olympics.