Avoid a cybercrime own goal during the World Cup

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies warns that cybercriminals use major events like the 2014 World Cup to deploy phishing scams, malware, and fraudulent apps. It argues that African governments must implement comprehensive public awareness campaigns to protect citizens, citing a lack of cybercrime laws and rapid internet growth as factors making the continent a potential 'safe harbour' for cybercrime.

• Cybercriminals exploit high-profile events such as the 2014 World Cup to target users through phishing, malware, hoaxes, and spoofing. A McAfee study found that searching for specific football stars—including Cristiano Ronaldo, Iker Casillas, and Eden Hazard—increased the risk of being redirected to malicious websites that could infect devices with malware to steal banking details and passwords.
• Fraudulent mobile applications related to the World Cup have appeared on the Google Play store. For instance, the app 'Fifa 2014 Free – World Cup' collects call logs, location data, and account information, while 'Corner Kick World Cup 2014' delivers advertisements and collects personal information instead of providing football content.
• Africa is increasingly vulnerable to cybercrime due to the expansion of mobile technologies, rapid high-speed internet growth, and a general lack of cybercrime legislation. Kaspersky Labs reported a rapid increase in cybercrime across the continent in the first quarter of 2014, specifically noting high threat levels in Algeria, Egypt, South Africa, and Kenya, while other studies identified Nigeria, Ghana, and Cameroon as hotspots.
• To combat these threats, African governments should implement multi-layered public awareness strategies. These campaigns should use non-technical language, provide tools for self-protection (such as strong password creation), provide law enforcement contact details, and be distributed via multimedia channels and partnerships with the private sector.
• Some African nations have already initiated cybersecurity awareness efforts. Mauritius promotes Computer Security Day (30 November) and Safer Internet Day (13 February). Tunisia has developed a national awareness plan using educational programmes and events, and South Africa's Police Service (SAPS) has collaborated with the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC) on community engagement.

APA

Tamarkin, E. (2014). Avoid a cybercrime own goal during the World Cup. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/iss-today/avoid-a-cybercrime-own-goal-during-the-world-cup

Chicago

Tamarkin, Eric. Avoid a cybercrime own goal during the World Cup. Institute for Security Studies, 2014. https://issafrica.org/iss-today/avoid-a-cybercrime-own-goal-during-the-world-cup.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Tamarkin |first1=Eric |title=Avoid a cybercrime own goal during the World Cup |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=11 June 2014 |url=https://issafrica.org/iss-today/avoid-a-cybercrime-own-goal-during-the-world-cup |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{tamarkin2014avoid, author = {Tamarkin, Eric}, title = {{Avoid a cybercrime own goal during the World Cup}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2014}, month = jun, url = {https://issafrica.org/iss-today/avoid-a-cybercrime-own-goal-during-the-world-cup}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }