Singapore – Businesses in Southeast Asia may face heightened cybersecurity risks during major sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup 2026, according to cybersecurity company SearchInform, which said cybercriminals have been exploiting employees’ interest in football through phishing campaigns, fake streaming platforms, and malicious applications.
The company said attackers are using fraudulent streaming websites, Android applications, phishing emails, and fake promotions related to the tournament to steal saved passwords and account credentials. It added that some scams also involve fake office betting pools, giveaways, and websites designed to resemble official FIFA platforms.
“During major global events, the corporate security perimeter is under huge stress,” said Francis Yeoh, Country Director at SearchInform Malaysia. “Employees access streaming websites from corporate devices to watch matches live. Traditional network-edge security is insufficient—the real danger comes from the employee side of the fence. Employees could watch a translation on a malware-infested website, they could download streaming applications with hidden malware, or use corporate credentials to register for fraudulent giveaways.”
SearchInform cited figures from Group-IB and the FBI indicating that more than 4,300 fake websites imitating FIFA interfaces, ticketing systems, streaming platforms, and World Cup employment portals were registered between August 2025 and June 2026.
To help reduce cybersecurity risks during major sporting events, the company recommended that organizations reinforce existing security measures and employee awareness.
Among its recommendations, SearchInform advised companies to monitor the use of corporate devices and remind employees not to use work-issued devices for personal activities such as streaming matches, downloading unofficial applications, or visiting suspicious websites.
The company also recommended strengthening password security by monitoring password reuse, particularly where employees may use corporate credentials for personal accounts that could later be compromised.
In addition, SearchInform suggested enforcing multi-factor authentication (MFA) for privileged users and temporarily increasing authentication requirements for remote employees during periods of elevated cyber risk.
The company also encouraged organizations to monitor data access patterns, including who accesses sensitive information, where it is accessed from, and how it is transmitted, while ensuring that security controls extend to cloud-based services as well as on-premises systems.
