This time next year, the eyes of the world will be fixed on the Football World Championships. Anticipation is already building ahead of the 23rd edition of the sporting event, as the promise of the grandest iteration of the tournament yet – more than 100 games are taking place across the U.S., Canada and Mexico over just 39 days – captures global attention.
However, with the increased size and scale of next year’s tournament comes complex cybersecurity challenges. Drawing on his experience in helping to defend recent major sporting events*, Darren Anstee, CTO for security at NETSCOUT, details the cyber threats looming over the tournament, as well as the best practices organisers, sponsors and critical infrastructure providers can follow to avoid disruption:
“From the 2012 London Summer Games ** to last year’s EURO 2024 in Germany***, threat actors routinely target global sporting events. The scale and visibility of next year’s Football World Championships undeniably makes it a marquee target for cybercriminals, with the tournament’s geographically distributed footprint offering cybercriminals significantly more entry points than any other global sporting events.
“Amongst the nefarious cyber threats facing the competition are distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. These attacks are a popular weapon among bad actors due to their ability to disrupt both physical and virtual aspects of the event. By attacking critical digital infrastructure – such as live broadcasts, public safety systems, and venue connectivity – DDoS attacks can significantly impact spectators and businesses alike.
“Even with the tournament still nearly a year away, threat actors will soon begin their warm-ups, probing the defences of organisers, sponsors and critical infrastructure providers – especially internet service providers (ISPs) – to map their capabilities and uncover weaknesses. If previous experiences are anything to go by, we should expect waves of attacks every few months in the lead up to the competition, as attackers undertake reconnaissance and testing.
“To evade potential disruptions, both in the run-up to and during the competition, organisers must regularly test and update their defences, ensuring their protection systems are truly effective and secure. This involves analysing past attacks to identify vulnerabilities and anticipate future threats, helping protect critical data and infrastructure. It is also vital for organisations to collaborate and regularly share information, enabling them to enhance their defensive posture and strengthen their security accordingly.
“With the Football World Championships kicking off on 11th June 2026, organisers, sponsors and critical infrastructure providers have just under a year to ensure they’re ready to welcome the world – bad actors and all.”
