Everything is going digital, and this change is also affecting sports. Nowadays, tickets are stored on phones; you can buy cryptocurrencies from official teams and sign up for platforms that give you insights and more data.
Yes, all of these advancements sound good. They definitely make our lives easier and sports more entertaining. But technological advancements also come with some downsides. And one of the biggest risks is cyber crime and the abuse of these apps and platforms for various purposes.
With the increasing technological acceptance in sports, we have also increased the amount of personal data that is traveling to some servers. We’re talking about actual servers that hold personal data, the code of a platform, and every single thing to make sure the systems are working. So, can you imagine what would happen if 60,000 people arrived at a stadium and nobody could open their tickets stored on their phones? Disaster.
But cybersecurity in the sports industry goes on a much deeper level than just missing a match. You can get your data stolen; you pay with your phone, so there are payment risks, and entire experiences in stadiums are based on the connectivity between platforms.
Let’s analyze what cybersecurity in sports is and what organizers are doing to keep everyone safe.
Most of us don’t realize, but we hand off more information than we actually know about... even as casual fans who bought a ticket to watch a horse racing event. In most cases, fans need to create an account, enter their name and address, maybe add a telephone number, and buy a ticket by adding payment information. These are just some examples, and the list of data transfers between fans and large sports organizations is much deeper.
On top of that, one fan may leave information across several connected systems without giving it much thought. All of this makes sports platforms attractive targets because the data has value to not-so-ethical people.
The 2024 Ticketmaster security incident proves exactly what we’re talking about. The ticketmaster said an unauthorized party accessed and isolated a cloud database belonging to a third-party data provider. This potentially included names, contact details, and encrypted credit card information.
So, you might be thinking that you’re only buying a ticket for the 2026 Breeders’ Cup Classic, and nobody would want to harm you, but since platforms operate with piles of data, you might be exposed if there is a cybersecurity issue with the platform.
That’s why you should always use legit and proven platforms, especially when handing over money (like in betting). If you’re interested in horse racing betting, read more about the 2026 Breeders’ Cup Classic here.
There was a certain simplicity to the old paper ticket. You bought it. You put it somewhere safe. Then, several months later, you discovered it inside the wrong jacket.
Digital ticketing solves many problems, including counterfeiting and unauthorized resale, but it creates new ones. If a fan's account is compromised, someone may gain access to expensive tickets without ever going near the fan's wallet.
Modern events increasingly use rotating mobile barcodes, authenticated transfers, and official ticket wallets precisely because a simple screenshot is easier to copy.
Fans therefore have a role in security too. Using a unique password and enabling stronger authentication may sound terribly unexciting until the account contains two Super Bowl tickets.
Sports organizations also hold information considerably more sensitive than someone's preferred seating section. Medical records, injury information, anti-doping documents, and performance data can affect an athlete's privacy, reputation, and career.
The World Anti-Doping Agency learned this painfully in 2016. The cyber-espionage group known as Fancy Bear obtained passwords through phishing and accessed an account connected with the Rio Olympic Games. The attackers subsequently published confidential Therapeutic Use Exemption information belonging to athletes. WADA later clarified that the broader ADAMS anti-doping system had not itself been breached; the attackers had obtained user credentials through deception.
The attacker did not necessarily need to defeat an extraordinary security system. They just needed somebody's password.
The digital risk does not stop at customer accounts. Modern venues contain interconnected systems for staff communications, point-of-sale terminals, corporate networks, Wi-Fi, displays, access systems, and various pieces of operational technology.
The NCSC warns that major events are particularly dependent on digital systems and that attacks affecting their availability or integrity can cause both operational and financial disruption.
Now imagine one or two hours before a championship final. That difference explains why preparation matters so much.
Event organizers need backup procedures for critical operations rather than assuming the internet will remain cooperative because everyone has bought expensive hospitality. If a payment system fails, can concessions continue?
If a digital service becomes unavailable, can staff still communicate? If ticketing develops a problem, is there a controlled fallback?
Professional sports organizations are also ordinary businesses in several important ways. They have payroll systems, HR records, finance departments, suppliers, and employees who receive email.
That makes ransomware and corporate intrusion just as relevant to a football club as to a manufacturer or law firm. The San Francisco 49ers filed a formal data-breach notification with California authorities after a 2022 incident.
Manchester United, meanwhile, now describes cybersecurity as part of its overall enterprise risk-management program. The club's 2025 annual filing says its controls include round-the-clock security monitoring, independent penetration testing, staff training, access controls, third-party risk management, and formal incident-response procedures.
Modern sport has definitely become an enormous digital operation disguised as something wonderfully physical. Yes, fans still care about which horse crosses the finish line first or goals, but behind all of these moments sit online systems that do huge data transfers all the time. And somebody might want to get that data.
We all play a role in the cybersecurity of sports. The organizers, the fans, the athletes everyone is responsible for their behavior, and we have to take all precautions to make sure that data leaks never happen.