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The 2026 FIFA World Cup faces a multifaceted threat landscape encompassing cybercriminal fraud, state-sponsored espionage, and physical security risks. Financially motivated actors are actively deploying purchase scams and fake domains to harvest payment card data, while state-aligned groups from Iran, Russia, and China are expected to target telecommunications, logistics, and VIP attendees for intelligence collection and potential disruption.
Iran's Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS) has expanded its 'Handala' operational brand to encompass physical threats and influence operations alongside its established cyber hacktivism. By coordinating personas like Handala Hack Team, HPRF, and VIPEmployment, MOIS leverages global brand recognition to solicit proxies via Telegram for espionage, sabotage, and physical attacks against US and Israeli interests. This multidomain approach combines cyber intrusions with real-world intimidation tactics.
The ongoing geopolitical conflict involving Iran has triggered significant cyber and influence operations, with multiple nation-state and hacktivist groups leveraging the crisis for espionage, destructive attacks, and narrative manipulation. Organizations are advised to prepare for a surge in Iranian cyber activity as domestic internet blackouts lift, alongside heightened risks of physical threats and supply chain disruptions.
