The top US counterintelligence official is advising Americans traveling to Russia for football’s World Cup beginning this week that they should not take electronic devices because they are likely to be hacked by criminals or the Russian government.
In a statement to Reuters on Tuesday, William Evanina, an FBI agent and the director of the US National Counterintelligence and Security Center, warned World Cup travelers that even if they think they are insignificant, hackers could still target them.
“If you’re planning on taking a mobile phone, laptop, PDA, or other electronic device with you — make no mistake — any data on those devices (especially your personally identifiable information) may be accessed by the Russian government or cyber criminals,” he said. “Corporate and government officials are most at risk, but don’t assume you’re too insignificant to be targeted,” Evanina added. “If you can do without the device, don’t take it. If you must take one, take a different device from your usual one and remove the battery when not in use.”
Photo: EPA
照片：歐新社
Evanina’s warning comes as US intelligence, law enforcement and congressional officials are still investigating Russian hacking in the 2016 presidential election and whether anyone with US President Donald Trump’s campaign was aware of or aided it. Trump has repeatedly denied there was any collusion and Russia has said it did not meddle in the US election. Another US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said British security agencies have issued similar warnings to the British public and the England football team, which is competing for the World Cup.
In a statement, Britain’s National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) said it was “providing expert cyber security advice to the (UK) Football Association ahead of their departure to Russia for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.” The NCSC, a branch of the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), Britain’s electronic eavesdropping agency, also issued a warning to the public.
Private cyber security expert Patrick Wardle said the official warnings constituted “really good advice. When I travel to Russia, I bring ‘burner’ devices, so if they get hacked, it doesn’t really matter.” A burner device is typically bought for temporary use, then thrown away.
Photo: AP
照片：美聯社
US agencies have issued similar warnings before other major international sporting events, including the recent Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.
(Reuters)
美國反情報活動的高階官員建議，為了本星期開踢的世界盃足球賽而前往俄羅斯的美國旅客，不應攜帶電子用品，因為犯罪份子或俄羅斯政府很有可能會駭入這些裝置。
Photo: AP
照片：美聯社
聯邦調查局幹員暨美國國家反情報與安全中心主任威廉‧伊凡尼納，在週二對路透發布的一份聲明稿中警告前往世界盃的旅客，就算他們自認無足輕重，駭客仍然可能會把他們當作攻擊對象。
伊凡尼納表示：「如果你計畫帶上手機、筆電、PDA，或是其他電子產品，不要懷疑，任何儲存在這些裝置上的資料（特別是能夠辨識你個人的資訊）都有可能遭俄羅斯政府或網路犯罪份子取得。」他補充說：「企業與政府官員的風險最高，但不要假定你自己太不重要，而不會被當成目標鎖定。」他建議：「如果你不帶這些東西也可以，那就不要帶。但如果一定要帶其中一項，務必選擇跟平常不同的裝置，而且不用時要把電池拿出來。」
在伊凡尼納發布警告的此刻，美國的情報機關、執法機構，以及國會官員仍然在調查二○一六年總統大選時發生的俄羅斯駭客事件，並釐清總統唐納‧川普的陣營中是否有人察覺此問題，或甚至暗中提供協助。川普已一再否認任何共謀或勾結，俄國也表示他們並未干涉美國選舉。一位不願具名的美國官員表示，英國的國家安全機關也已經對英國民眾──以及競逐世界盃的英格蘭隊──發布類似警示。
英國國家網路安全中心在一份聲明中表示，該機構「於（英國）足球協會啟程前往俄國參加二○一八年世界盃足球賽之前，向其提供專業的網路安全建議」。國家網路安全中心隸屬於政府通訊總部，亦即英國的電子監聽機構，也已經向大眾發布警示。
私人網路安全公司的專家派翠克‧瓦爾朵表示，這些官方警示都是「非常好的建議。當我去俄羅斯旅行時，我都帶『一次性』電子產品，所以就算它們遭駭，也不會造成太大的影響。」所謂的一次性電子產品通常都是為暫時性使用而購買，用完即可丟棄。
美國的情報機關也曾經在其他主要國際運動賽事前發布類似警示，包括近期於平昌舉辦的冬季奧運。
（台北時報章厚明譯）
A: In your view, what are Taipei’s top buffet restaurants? B: Feastogether Group’s outlets — A Joy, Inparadise, Eatogether, Sunrise and Fruitful Food — are the runners-up. A: A Joy’s deluxe meal, priced at NT$3,880 per person plus a 10-percent service charge, is the most expensive of its kind. B: My No. 1 goes to Hi-Lai Group’s outlets — including Island and Hi-Lai Harbour. A: I feel like I’ve gained 3 kilograms just from hearing all the options. A: 你心目中最強的吃到飽餐廳是？ B: 亞軍是饗賓集團的吃到飽品牌︰饗、饗饗、饗食天堂、旭集、果然匯。 A: 饗每人高達3,880台幣加一成，是全台最貴的吃到飽！ B: 冠軍則是漢來集團旗下的品牌︰島語、漢來海港。 A: 哈聽到這麼多吃到飽，我感覺又胖了3公斤。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）
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