As the world watched in anticipation for the World Cup semifinals, viewers who had planned to watch the match through the streaming service, FuboTV, experienced an unexpected and premature disruption. FuboTV tweeted to its users, reporting that an “unauthorized source” had performed a “criminal cyber attack” that forced the streaming provider to cut off viewer access.
FuboTV also stated that they had attempted to restore access as soon as they were made aware of the attack, but were ultimately unsuccessful in doing so. They later followed up with a tweet of apology and regret that their services had not been available during the World Cup’s marquee semifinals match-up between Croatia and England.
Fortunately, FuboTV was able to restore service to its viewers in time for the World Cup final and other programming on the day. The company continues to monitor its services and is focusing on bolstering their protection against future attacks.
Although all services have been restored, the issue still raises questions about the security of streaming services. In an age when ransomware attacks, DDOS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks, and other malicious cyber activities are all too familiar, streamers like FuboTV must take additional steps to protect their viewers from such disruptions.
The issue of cyber security has become even more important as streaming services become more popular. As the numbers of viewers for such services continue to climb, it’s understandable why providers are beefing up their cyber defense measures. FuboTV’s cyber attack incident has certainly put a spotlight on the importance of cyber security for all streaming services, and serves as an important reminder that ultimate vigilance is the best defense against potential cyber attacks.