The World Cup could become a hot bed for espionage

This year's FIFA World Cup in Qatar is gearing up to be a hot spot for governments spying on their adversaries, researchers and officials cautioned this week.

Driving the news: Cybersecurity firm Recorded Future released a report Thursday warning that state-sponsored hacking groups are likely to see the World Cup as "target-rich environment" for spying on foreign dignitaries and businesspeople.

European data protection regulators have been advising their constituents against downloading Qatar's World Cup apps due to surveillance and national security concerns.

German authorities said one of the apps "collects data on whether and with which number a telephone call is made," Politico reports.

The big picture: International sports event have become a hotbed for cyber espionage campaigns, putting governments on high alert for unwelcome surveillance.

The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee advised Team USA to use burner phones while in Beijing for this year's Winter Olympics due to similar concerns, per the Wall Street Journal.

Between the lines: Recorded Future's researchers said digital spies tied to China and Iran are the most likely to carry out espionage campaigns targeting the tournament.