The media frenzy surrounding the Beijing Olympics is proving fertile ground for hackers and spammers, according to computer security company Symantec.
The company claims that cyber criminals will use interest in the event to trick Internet users into visiting fake sites or opening booby-trapped email attachments, which can compromise computers and lure users into handing over personal information.
One online malware network, known as Rustock, has already started to capitalize on the games, using more and more sophisticated emails to catch out unsuspecting users.
Phil Hay, lead threat analyst for security firm Marshal, notes that “as time has gone on, the criminals behind Rustock have adjusted the appearance and sophistication of their messages to become more convincing at fooling recipients into infecting themselves”.
The general public are not the only ones at risk. One campaign has even been seen of e-mails made to look like they are from the International Olympic Committee, which were sent to members of national sporting organizations.
Whilst hackers are attempting to capitalize on the games, it is advisable to keep anti-virus software up to date, use a firewall, and, like any good Olympian, be prepared.
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