Super Bowl LIX Could Be a Magnet for CyberattacksSuper Bowl LIX Could Be a Magnet for Cyberattacks

Sporting events like the upcoming Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans are prime targets for cyberattacks due to their massive audiences, extensive digital infrastructure, and the potential for high financial and reputational impact. Experts say organizers should be prepared for an onslaught of attacks leading up to and on game day, which is Feb. 9 this year.

Securing such events can be particularly challenging due to the vast array of potential attack surfaces, including ticketing systems, livestreaming platforms, in-stadium Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and valuable fan data. The New Year's Day terrorist attack in the city has only added to the concerns, and has prompted greater physical security measures in the form of increased surveillance, a significantly larger police presence than initially planned, and the use of drones and extra cameras to monitor for threats.

High-Stakes Cybersecurity Playbook for the Big Game

James DeMeo, faculty member with Tulane University's School of Professional Advancement, is an expert in sport event security, facilities, and venue risk assessment. The Super Bowl, he reminds, is a mega event that the Department of Homeland Security has designated as a Special Event Assessment Rating 1 (SEAR 1), which is the highest rating from a threat assessment standpoint. Following the Jan. 1 vehicle ramming incident in New Orleans' French Quarter, event security concerns are sure to have only heightened, he says.

The top cybersecurity concerns will include those around ransomware, malware, and phishing threats directed at critical infrastructure for the games and communication networks. "Command center controls will be tasked with averting bad actors from infiltrating CCTV, access controls, and wireless networks while ensuring a seamless fan experience," DeMeo says.

Other focus areas for the security team at the Super Bowl will include protecting fan payment data and monitoring social media networks for signs of potential physical threat activity. "Law enforcement will be sharing relative and timely information with governmental stakeholders like the JTTF and the Secret Service," DeMeo says. Expect the DHS to monitor posts on social media platforms in real time before and during the games for conversations that indicate a threat to the event.

DeMeo expects drones will play a key role on the physical security side of things as well. "Drones are an effective risk mitigation tool for key Super Bowl security stakeholders," he says. "This technology can be implemented for properly monitoring crowds, crowd management, crowd ingress/egress, and reconnaissance for potential nefarious bad actors on the exterior perimeters of the venue."  

Additionally, such technologies as biometrics and iris scans can be utilized as an effective risk mitigation tool by event security leads, he says.

A Collaborative Defensive Effort

Mike Storm, distinguished engineer at Cisco, says preparation for an event like the Super Bowl actually begins years in advance, with collaboration between a number of entities, including the host venue, the local city, a wide network of tech vendors, and government entities like the FBI. "In the years, months and weeks leading up to the event, the cross-functional team engages in a wide variety of scenario and role-playing exercises so that should any issues arise during the event, responses are swift, coordinated, and ideally resolve the problem before it can impact the game or the fan experience."

As the primary network provider for the Super Bowl, Cisco has partnered with the NFL in a collaborative approach to manage threats to the game. "This playbook," he says, "is built on a few core attributes that are essential to successfully protecting an event of this magnitude — simplicity, visibility, reliability, and protection." As part of the effort, Cisco has deployed a range of technologies to secure the game network, including Cisco Secure Firewall, Cisco Umbrella, Cisco Security Malware Analytics, Cisco XDR with Meraki, and Splunk Enterprise.

The NFL is also tapping Cisco's Talos threat intelligence service for real-time intelligence pertinent to the event. The goal is to safeguard game day operations and respond to potential threats during the event to prevent disruptions, Storm says. "When it comes to large sporting events, we are looking for all types of attacks, at volume," he says. Many attacks are often focused on trying to degrade the experience of fans or on the misuse of data of viewers, guests, or participants of the game. "These events are targeted by a variety of different actors, which can include ideologically or politically motivated hacktivists and state-sponsored threat actors." These actors employ a variety of tactics, which can include targeting sponsors to disrupt the game or misusing branding to lure viewers to click something on something malicious.  

Storm points to the rising use of artificial intelligence as impacting Cisco's approach to protecting high-profile events like the Super Bowl. For instance, it adds complexity, he says: "The stakes of something going wrong with AI are incredibly high. On the other hand, it unlocks opportunities for faster, smarter security."

The Threat from Unmonitored Service Accounts & APIs

Meanwhile. the proliferation of automated systems and services like "just walk out" payment methods and frictionless checkout systems at events like the Super Bowl present a new attack vector that security teams need to guard against. The growing digitization has enabled faster retail transactions and a host of other benefits for fans. But it also led to an explosion of non-human identities (NHIs) and shared multiuse service accounts, APIs, tokens, and access keys that are often poorly monitored or completely unmonitored, says Tim Eades, CEO and co-founder of Anetac.

"Anetac's research indicates that large-scale events like the Super Bowl represent a perfect storm for NHI vulnerabilities," Eades says. "The combination of reliance on automated systems, rapid deployment, and the expansive network of NHIs required to support modern stadiums [has] significantly [increased] the attack surface," at events like the Super Bowl.

Eades perceives the targeting of NHIs as presenting a threat for event organizers in New Orleans and remote locations, "Bad actors recognize that automated accounts are gateways to critical infrastructure and sensitive data such as customer information, employee data, and more," he says. Securing such accounts, Eades notes, is important because they enable attackers to potentially gain control over stadium systems, from payment processing to manipulating environmental controls and emergency systems.