World Cup 2026: how mobile networks can avoid cybersecurity chaos at kick-off
World Cup 2026: how mobile networks can avoid cybersecurity chaos at kick-off
Publish Date: 2026-04-30 05:06:00
Source Domain: www.techradar.com
The Olympic flames have long been extinguished in Italy, but for mobile network operators, the digital smoke hasn’t cleared.
The Russian-linked cybersecurity attacks that hit the Winter Games served as a high-stakes warning shot for the next major target on the global calendar.
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H. Khuong Nguyen Quan
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Head of Security & Fraud Prevention Solutions at Proximus Global.
With the tournament now just a couple of months away, organizers and operators across the globe will be feeling increased pressure.
They must protect the mobile and connectivity networks that support roaming fans, live global broadcasts, and sensitive customer, commercial, and operational data.
As the countdown to the opening match on June 11 begins, it is unfortunately too late for major network upgrades. The focus should now shift from long-term transformation to temporary resilience.
Perfect storm for fraud
In February, Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced that the country had foiled “Russian origin” cyber-attacks targeting the Winter Olympics. It underlined how major sporting events have become geopolitical digital targets.
Global sporting events exacerbate existing vulnerabilities rather than introducing new attack types. The upcoming World Cup will feature an expanded field of 48 national teams. To put that into context for the non-football fans amongst you, that’s exactly double the number of countries as was at the last World Cup to be hosted in North America, in 1994.
With millions of travelling fans from a wide variety of countries converging on…
