According to a recent eMarketer report, almost 1 billion people worldwide will follow the London Olympic games digitally on their PCs and mobile devices including smartphones and tablets. With such a large portion of the audience resorting to follow the Olympics by digital means, cybercriminals will jump on this opportunity to hack their devices. Hackers typically take advantage of such high profile events to lure users into clicking on fraudulent links, triggering the download of malware or viruses on the devices of the unsuspecting users.

To avoid these online scams, below are some cybersecurity tips to follow:

• Ensure that your antivirus software is updated regularly.
• Use an Internet restriction software to block access to unauthorized sites.
• Download apps and software from reputable sites only. If you are unsure about the integrity of the source, best to follow your hunch.
• Resist opening emails from unknown sources.
• Avoid clicking on links or opening attachments from unsolicited emails.
• When searching for Olympic related pages, scrutinize links carefully. Cybercriminals can redirect consumers to malicious websites, infecting the user’s device.
• Question any tantalizing deals, especially from unsolicited emails or dubious links.
• Never give out your credit card information to any suspecting sources.
• Be weary of ticket scams when researching for any Olympic events. Emails offering ticket deals should be addressed with caution.
• Be vigilante of disguised links from Facebook and Twitter which could lead to malicious sites. Similarly caution should be applied to Twitter links, which are often shortened making it difficult to access the source, unless clicked upon.

Good luck to the athletes and let’s enjoy the London Olympic games!