What the World Cup of the Future would look like

5/06/18

The FIFA World Cup is always an event that puts the host country to the test in terms of security and logistics for the millions of fans travelling from all over the world. Written by Sebastian Stranieri, CEO of VU

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The FIFA World Cup is always an event that puts the host country to the test in terms of security and logistics for the millions of fans who travel from all over the world to enjoy a unique sporting event. But not only in terms of physical security, but also in terms of virtual security. In stadiums where some 70,000 people are connected to a single wifi network through 1,200 access points, cybersecurity is a fundamental aspect to prevent online attacks and avoid cases like the one that happened at the last Winter Olympics in South Korea. This is what we imagine a cybersecure World Cup would be like.

Purchase of tickets

To prevent fraud in the purchase of tickets, transactions would be made only with digital money through online payment platforms or NFC, digital wallets, QR codes and cryptocurrencies. These types of payments are highly secure since, in the case of mobile payments, they can only be made by the person with the password and/or biometric validation. On the other hand, to verify the ownership of bitcoins and access them, it is necessary to use a password created with techniques derived from cryptography, which are very difficult to decipher and to break.

Shopping

In the same way, these virtual systems can be used when making purchases at the stadium, without the need to exchange money for local currency, and speeding up transaction times, reducing waiting times and queues. In addition, these modalities reduce the risk of running out of money in case of theft or loss, since the consumer can access the money from different devices.

Admission to the games

With the use of facial recognition without the need for ID, it would be possible to validate the identity of people when they enter the facilities. This would help to avoid the entry of barras bravas or people with arrest warrants, in addition to ensuring that the person who enters is the one who bought the ticket, thus reducing the possibility of fraud and counterfeiting of the same. The implementation of black lists and white lsits is already a modality adopted worldwide.

Secure transactions

When you are traveling, you are sometimes more exposed to fraud because you are in an unfamiliar place, more relaxed and less attentive, and use digital means of payment more frequently. With fraud prevention solutions, each person can set their own spending limits from an App on their mobile phone. This helps the system to identify if the transaction is outside the normal parameters determined by the user and thus prevent possible fraud.

Access to restricted areas

By implementing biometrics solutions such as facial or voice recognition to authenticate individuals and ensure that only authorized persons have access to restricted areas such as training, accommodation, and player training areas, for example. This helps to ensure the safety of players and staff and reduce potential attacks.

Emergency communications

A unified and secure system for organizers to send push communications to attendees simultaneously in different languages to explain how to proceed in case of emergency, which would be similar to the system implemented in the United States, known as "Amber Alert", for example.

Threats are advancing and so are solutions to protect identity and prevent fraud, and they can be applied across the board, even during the World Cup.

About VU - http://www.vusecurity.com/Es is a specialist cybersecurity software development company with a focus on fraud prevention and identity protection. Its mission is to deliver frictionless and secure digital experiences for both citizens and companies. It is the only company in the region aligned to best practices in international authentication, member of FIDO Alliance, OATH and OIC. Founded in 2007, it has offices in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Ecuador, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico and Peru.