Online threats of 2010 World Cup "explosive"

CIOs are being warned the 2010 FIFA World Cup will result in "explosive" new threats to online safety.

WatchGuard Australia and New Zealand regional director Scott Robertson is warning businesses may feel the effect of spam, PDF attacks and loss of productivity during the month-long sporting event that kicks off in South Africa today.

"Cybercriminals are always looking at new ways to lure businesses and people into dangerous places, and often they use major events as tools to snare their victims," Robertson said.

WatchGuard is reporting an increase in spam using the term "World Cup" and recommends administrators should use PDF file blocking features to protect against "zero-day" threats.

CIOs are also being warned that staff access to social media sites could result in the proliferation of malware.

"Content filtering and file blocking solutions should be tuned to reduce threats related to social networks and the World Cup," according to WatchGuard.