Cybercriminals Gear Up to Leverage Commonwealth Games Frenzy

As the Commonwealth Games draws near, cybercriminals are preparing to exploit the massive influx of sports enthusiasts into New Delhi in October, leveraging the increased online activity for financial gains. According to Symantec, cybercriminals are aware of the huge potential from peaks in internet activity during major sporting events and are likely to ramp up their malicious activities. A recent example of cybercriminals exploiting a large-scale event is the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where they propagated spam emails with World Cup-themed subject lines, subjecting users to 419-style scams, fake accommodation providers, and more.

Key Takeaways:

Cybercriminals are aware of the huge potential financial gains from peaks in internet activity during major sporting events like the Commonwealth Games.
A recent example of cybercriminals exploiting a large-scale event is the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where they propagated spam emails with World Cup-themed subject lines.
Cybercriminals used advanced techniques such as SEO poisoning to infect search engine results with malicious websites.
Symantec warns internet users about maintaining caution during the Commonwealth Games, as the burgeoning broadband population and excitement around the Games create the "perfect storm" for cybercriminals.
Apart from online scams, fans traveling to the Commonwealth Games also need to protect their smartphones from theft, as loss of these devices can result in confidential data being compromised.
Phishing sites promoting the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup have already been luring users to give up their login credentials to obtain tickets for the matches.

Statistics:

12 million security alerts were reported per day during the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
419-style scams, fake accommodation providers, and offers of free mobile phones were among the tricks used by cybercriminals during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
A recent example of cybercriminals exploiting a large-scale event is highlighted, with a spate of malicious attacks reported, showcasing the potential severity of cyber threats.

Sources:

Symantec: http://security.ciol.com/Vulnerabilities/News-Reports/Cyber-crime-China-India-most-affected-nations/141165/0/
Symantec: http://security.ciol.com/Mobile-Security/Feature/Mobile-Banking-Will-it-cope-the-malware-threat/140354/0/
CIOL: http://security.ciol.com/Feature/Expect-a-shift-in-the-types-of-attacks/29110130721/0/
CIOL: http://www.ciol.com/Security/News-Reports/Beware-of-World-Cup-spam/137597/0/