England vs Netherlands live stream: Free Nations League semi-final sites flood the web but pose ‘huge risk’

Regardless of whether people watch the game on Sky or illegally online, cyber security experts warn that hackers will target football fans

Cyber security experts have warned of the risks faced by football fans hoping to watch England play the Netherlands in the semi-finals of the inaugural Uefa Nations League.

Kick-off for the match is scheduled for 7.45pm BST, with the game broadcast live on Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Main Event channels from 7pm in the UK.

Anyone without a Sky subscription will be able to pay £8.99 for a day pass on Now TV, however people hoping to watch the game for free will likely turn to illegal streaming sites that can often be found through a simple online search or through social media sites ahead of the game.

Follow The Independent's live coverage of the Nations League semi-final between England and the Netherlands

But regardless of whether people watch the game through legitimate or illegal methods, security experts warn that cyber criminals and hackers will attempt to capitalise on the game's popularity.

There are numerous ways hackers may try to exploit online interest in the football match, ranging from fake links containing malware, to more sophisticated phishing attacks.

“Fake sites and redirects are a popular tactic used by cyber criminals and the fans paying to watch tonight’s match need to be aware of them, even if they look legitimate," Joseph Woodruff, a threat intelligence analyst at cyber security firm EclecticIQ, told The Independent.

"Cyber criminals use these sites to target users by telling them they have malware on their machine, recommending they call a support number and during the phone call, installing software which allows them into the system. It’s from here that other damage can be done, whether that is stealing payment details or installing ransomware."

More surprisingly is the way hackers will trick fans into clicking on links that appear legitimate.

“Those who are trying to watch the game through legitimate means should also be aware of attackers using typo-squatted domains, or fake URLs, to host sites that look like the original and appear legitimate," Mr Woodruff said.

"These typo-squatted domains often have a single character out of place or could be generated using common typing errors but are very similar to the legitimate site. Attackers often copy the look of the original domain to make the user think they are safe. They then steal the user credentials when they attempt to login.”