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As more and more industries begin to base their activities on the internet, cybersecurity becomes more imperative. For a company to provide safe, fast, and accurate service to its clients, it must protect essential documents and privacy.
While the sports industry may not seem like one that also needs to follow these rules, you'd be surprised to learn that the connection of the sports industry to the digital age is apparent.
It may not be as much of a virtual experience as, for example, the online casino industry. Here, security is very important for Swedish casino players, among others. That's why online casinos have many cybersecurity measures to protect their users.
But what cybersecurity measures are vital in the sports industry? And why do we need them in the first place? Let's review!
Why do we need cybersecurity in sports?
The first and most important reason why we need cybersecurity in sports is the fact that a lot of technology is involved in sports nowadays.For example, during a football match, there is a VAR (Video Assistant Referee) system that helps review the match and allows the referee to make decisions. If there were to be a cyber attack on this system, it could present the wrong results and mislead referees. Needless to say, this can have a very negative impact on the final results of the match.
Cybersecurity is important even before the football match starts. As fans enter the stadium to cheer on their favorite team, they go through turnstiles. These turnstiles are an important tool in keeping the crowd under control. They also allow guards to do easier security screening.
If control over the turnstiles were to fall into the wrong hands, not only would crowds become a big issue, but anyone could bring anything into the stadium. This jeopardizes the safety of all attendees as well as the players.
Ransomware is also a big problem in the sports industry. Cybercriminals often target big names such as FIFA or certain clubs such as Manchester United, who experienced a ransomware attack in November 2020. They often look for any data they can get to sell back to these companies.
Finally, a cyber attack doesn't need to have any practical reasons. Sometimes, the attackers only want to spread their word and become famous cybercriminals. They usually do this under the name of certain organizations.
What security measures are in effect?
The most important security measure for all industries is preparation. Anticipating an attack can already put you a few steps ahead of cybercriminals when it comes to protection.This helps the company recognize which services they need, where they can get them from, and how to implement them. Many also practice implementing these measures even when there is no cybersecurity attack. As a result, their response is fast and effective when the attack actually happens.
When it comes to specific cases such as ransomware, keeping a safe backup of all the files stored on the company's cloud is beneficial. This way, the attackers have no leverage over the company and they can walk away relatively unscathed. Presumably, this is how Manchester United mitigated any potential damage from their November 2020 attack.
This and more are just a few of the ways companies can protect their data and mitigate the damage.
Of course, nothing beats the classics. Making sure you don't click on any suspicious links or enter any information on unsafe websites are foolproof ways to avoid breaches. Developers should update their code and fix any vulnerabilities, as well as any systems in place to protect the website.
