Forget Zika, it's HACKERS you have to worry about: National Intelligence officials are warning US Olympic fans to carry 'clean' devices and be alert to cyber attacks in Rio 

  • Brazil has been rated in top 10 riskiest countries for cyber crime
  • Officials are warning traveling Americans to be aware of risks
  • They say to bring 'clean devices', avoid long spells on local WiFi 
  • Brazilian wing of Anonymous has vowed a series of cyber hacks 

Just a month from the Rio Olympics, Brazil is in turmoil.

The Zika virus - as well as a crippling political scandal and incomplete construction work - is driving many athletes and fans to give this year's tournament a miss.

And now, the US Director of National Intelligence is warning Americans they risk being hacked. 

Bill Evanina, executive of national counterintelligence, has urged tourists to take 'clean' devices to Rio if they wish to avoid losing personal information, losing files or having their online presence corrupted.

He also warns people to leave unnecessary devices at home, to back up your data and leave those copies at home, and to regularly change passwords during the trip.

Unhappy: Civil police officers protest on June 27 with a banner that reads 'Olympics with unpaid police'; with just weeks to go, police helicopters are grounded, patrol cars are parked and security forces so pressed for funds that some have to be for donations of pens and cleaning supplies

Unhappy: Civil police officers protest on June 27 with a banner that reads 'Olympics with unpaid police'; with just weeks to go, police helicopters are grounded, patrol cars are parked and security forces so pressed for funds that some have to be for donations of pens and cleaning supplies

Local Wi-Fi networks should be used sparingly, he says, and any company laptops or phones should be scanned for bugs on returning to the US.  

The warnings come after the Brazilian wing of the notorious hacking group Anonymous announced their plans to derail the Olympics with the campaign #OpOlympicHacking in protest against the government. 

Brazil has long been pegged as a risky spot for cybercrime. 

The country was one of the top 10 riskiest places highlighted by Symantec - the Olympics' network security provider - in its latest annual report. 

And security officials fear the August tournament will see some of the most prolific cyber attacks to date. 

Emanuele Gentili, Tiger Security CEO who ran cyber protection for the Brazil World Cup 2014, told the Wall Street Journal last month: 'We expect very visible and high profile attacks from the cyber space on a daily basis.

Long way to go: The beach volleyball venue on the Copacabana Beach is clearly nowhere near finished 

Long way to go: The beach volleyball venue on the Copacabana Beach is clearly nowhere near finished 

Still under way: Road construction is still taking place in front of the Athletes' Village - even though competitors are beginning to arrive

Still under way: Road construction is still taking place in front of the Athletes' Village - even though competitors are beginning to arrive

'We also do expect that main targets will be public and institutional infrastructures, as well as digital platforms linked to the Olympic Games, which could lead to service unavailability and taint the experience of tourists as well as the image of [Brazil] during the event.'

The Journal also cited an IBM Security officer, who said Brazilian hackers are known for their flagrant disregard for the law.

'There’s a general feeling of impunity,' Limor Kessem, executive security advisor at IBM Security, told the Journal.

'The laws are very general, there aren’t many of them and their bite isn’t strong. They [cyber criminals] don’t even bother hiding, they flaunt [their activities].'