Ronaldo, football fever and cyber penalties

INDIA: According to research from McAfee, part of Intel Security, cybercriminals are most likely to use Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo to lure visitors to web pages designed to infect them with malware. The McAfee "Red Card Club" showcases the top eleven Brazil-bound players whose web pages are considered to be risky for fans to search for online. Following Ronaldo are Argentina's Lionel Messi, Spain's Iker Cassillas, Brazil's Neymar and Algeria's Karim Ziani.

As is common with other cultural sensations, cybercriminals leverage consumer interest in the world's most popular sport to lure them to websites rigged with malware, malicious code capable of infecting a user's machine and stealing passwords and personal information, the company observes. 

According to the research, fans run the greatest risk when visiting sites offering screensaver downloads and videos showcasing the extraordinary skills of the players. Searching for the latest Cristiano Ronaldo content yields more than a 3.7 per cent chance of landing on a website that has tested positive for online threats, such as spyware, adware, spam, phishing, viruses and other malware.

"Consider the McAfee "Red Card Club" as our effort to warn consumers against allowing passion to trump digital hygiene," said Paula Greves, director of web security research at McAfee. "Cybercriminals can't resist taking advantage of ‘fever-pitch' excitement around this summer's epic matchups in Brazil. The danger is that this anticipation could lead fans to download content from pages they shouldn't to fulfill their football experience."

The company recommends that to avoid the summertime blues of becoming infected during the Brazil games and beyond, fans can follow a set of basic tips to protect themselves wherever their love of the game may take them. They should be beware of content that prompts you to download anything before providing you the content. Opt to watch streaming videos or download content from official websites of content providers. "Free downloads" are the highest virus-prone search term. Anyone searching for videos or files to download should be careful to not unleash malware on their computer, it stresses.

The company also mentions that established news sites may not entice you with exclusives for one solid reason: there usually aren't any. "Stick to official news sites that you trust for breaking news. However, trusted sites can also fall prey to hackers. Make sure to use a safe search tool that will notify you of risky sites or links before you visit them. Don't download videos from suspect sites. Most news clips you'd want to see can easily be found on official video sites, and don't require you to download anything. If a website offers an exclusive video for you to download, don't. Don't "log in" or provide other information. If you receive a message, text or email or visit a third-party website that asks for your information-credit card, email, home address, Facebook login, or other information-for access to an exclusive story, don't give it out. Such requests are a common tactic for phishing that could lead to identity theft." it advises.