During the FIFA World Cup 2026, King County employees may notice an increase in phishing‑awareness messages and simulation exercises over the next several weeks.

“Phishing” is when scammers pose as trusted organizations and send fake emails, texts, or calls to trick people into sharing personal information or downloading harmful software. It continues to be one of the main ways attackers gain access to systems, steal credentials, or spread malware — and major events like the World Cup often lead to a spike in these attempts.

Here’s how you can protect King County

• Please stay alert and take a close look at unexpected messages, links, and attachments.
• If you receive something suspicious, use the “Report Phishing” button in Outlook to quickly notify the Security Operations team.
• If you click a simulated phishing link, you may be asked to complete additional training videos sent from King County’s cybersecurity training partner, KnowBe4.