Cyber crime at World Cup is very real threat to U.S. fans, security experts say

Cyber crime is the most serious threat for U.S. fans traveling to Russia this summer for the World Cup, security experts say.

While headlines before the tournament warned of Russian hooligans possibly causing disruptions and Fox broadcaster Alexi Lalas saying he was confronted by an aggressive and angry fan while on assignment in Moscow, experts say Americans traveling to Russia should be more concerned about using their cell phones and having their personal information confiscated. 

“Probably the greatest risk is going to be cyber security,” said Larry Pfeiffer, who served as chief of staff to former CIA Director Michael Hayden. “No. 1, Russia is a security state with one of the most advanced intelligence services in the world, and they are going to try to use this event to their advantage.”

Russian government agencies with the potential to hack devices are the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Main Intelligence Administration (GRU), Pfeiffer says.

“They’ve got an industrial-sized intelligence community that’s going to have the capability to handle vast amounts of data,” said Pfeiffer, director of the Michael V. Hayden Center for Intelligence, Policy, and International Security at George Mason University. “They will be sweeping up large amounts of data off of telephones being used in the country. Nobody should feel like they’re immune to that.”

Julian Sanchez, who studies privacy and national security at the Cato Institute, a Washington think tank, said travelers should bring or purchase a burner phone or other device. But if you can’t afford it, wipe the device before going to Russia.

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“Back them up, wipe them clean and then bring them in a state with as little information as possible on them,” Sanchez said. “Especially big events like the World Cup, be cautious about what Wi-Fi you are using.”

So far there have been few reports of criminal activity against World Cup visitors. Russian media have reported that police agencies were told not to release details of negative incidents that may affect Russia’s reputation during the tournament.

Foreign security services have been known to use phishing, according to the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC). Phishing is when a person, application or device appears to be trustworthy in order to gain private information. People should not overshare their information with new acquaintances when at the World Cup, according to NCSC.

“Anyone traveling to Russia to attend the World Cup should be clear-eyed about the cyber risks involved,” NCSC director William Evanina said in a statement. “If you’re planning on taking a mobile phone, laptop, PDA, or other electronic device with you —make no mistake — any data on those devices (especially your personally identifiable information) may be accessed by the Russian government or cyber criminals.”

Pfeiffer said U.S. citizens should not trust well-established Wi-Fi networks, such as those in commercial hotels.

“The Russian intel services work closely with hotels and venues like that to be able to monitor communications,” Pfeiffer said. “The advice I give is in countries like Russia and China in particular, if you don’t have to bring a device, don’t bring one.”