by DNSFilter Team on Feb 12, 2024 10:35:16 AM
The outcome of this year's Super Bowl matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers on Feb. 11 at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas will likely remain unknown until the last down of the game. But one thing that is already abundantly clear is that attackers will have no shortage of targets to blitz at the event.
The NFL's continuing digitization of almost all aspects of the event, from ticketing to gate access systems and virtually every other point of contact with fans, has opened new vulnerabilities and targets that its security team has had to secure. Concerns include threats to arena security, ransomware attacks on critical systems, phishing and credential theft, and threats to personal data and other sensitive information belonging to fans, NFL employees, players, and coaches.
A report by DNSFilter found that Super Bowl Sunday saw a 57% rise in malicious gambling and betting content. There was a 15% increase in illegal streaming and torrenting traffic related to fake streaming sites during championship weekend compared to the previous average held between May and December 2024, indicating an escalating risk of security issues tied to streaming during major NFL events.
Cybersecurity firm shows spikes in malicious traffic leading up to and during high-profile sporting events
By 2025, zero trust will be the dominant architecture model, fully replacing outdated perimeter-based models. Security controls will focus increasingly on the workforce and workloads rather than just the workplace, leading to enhanced protection across diverse environments.