• England team wifi and social media use to be tightly controlled • FA has sent a letter to Fifa following Fancy Bears hack in May

The FA will strengthen its cybersecurity before the 2018 World Cup amid fears about Russian hackers Fancy Bears and concern that tactical and team selection information could be leaked before games.

England are top of Group F and on course to qualify automatically for the tournament which begins on 14 June. The FA is still assessing training bases but wherever the squad stay all computer equipment belonging to players and support staff will sophisticated anti-hacking software installed.

The FA will also provide its own internet access with staff and players instructed not to use wifi in hotels, cafes or airports to protect against data breaches. Players will also be advised on their use of social media and warned about posting photographs which reveal details of their location or tactical information.

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It is understood the FA was already exploring cybersecurity measures around the World Cup before August when Fancy Bears, which has previously targeted British Olympians, made revelations about football’s anti-doping procedures.

The hack included an email from the FA’s head of integrity, Jenni Kennedy, to Fifa regarding four anti-doping cases in May 2017.

It is believed Fancy Bears are a Russian group seeking revenge after the country was banned from competing in athletics at the Rio Olympics when systemic doping in the country was exposed. They had already breached the World Anti-Doping Agency’s database, releasing hundreds of private medical files of mainly European and American Olympians, including Bradley Wiggins and Mo Farah.

The first leak concerning footballers only heightened concerns about the possibility of Fancy Bears accessing emails from FA chiefs and coaching staff, including Gareth Southgate, while the team are in Russia. Firewalls have been strengthened and passwords encrypted.

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A Fifa spokesman said: “We can confirm the FA has sent a letter to Fifa related to the Fancy Bears attack. In its reply Fifa has informed the FA in such context that Fifa remains committed to preventing security attacks in general and that with respect to the Fancy Bears attack in particular it is presently investigating the incident to ascertain whether Fifa’s infrastructure was compromised. Such investigation is still ongoing.”

The FA has been alert to potential breaches of security at major tournaments in the past, notably in relation to physical spying. At Euro 2016 in France, the team’s training base in Chantilly was guarded by 9ft of tarpaulin and they rejected the opportunity to train at match venues the day before games. Concerns about security at the Brazil World Cup in 2014 were also heightened with Fifa called up by France to investigate claims that a drone hovering above a training session was recording practice before their opening game.