The cyber threat to sports organisations

guest · Jul 22, 2020

NCSC reveals scale of cyber attacks on UK sports industry
New report on the cyber threat to sports organisations reveals a range of attacks by hackers
July 23, 2020
https://www.computerweekly.com/news...-scale-of-cyber-attacks-on-UK-sports-industry

At least 70% of sporting institutions, organisations and teams in the UK have suffered a security incident in the past 12 months, according to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), which has just published its first-ever report on the impact of cyber crime on one of the country’s highest-profile industries.

Although the NCSC has not named any names, some of the incidents disclosed in the report, Cyber threat to sports organisations, include: blocked turnstiles at stadiums after systems were taken offline by ransomware, which almost led to the cancellation of a football match; a £15,000 loss to a racecourse after a staff member fell victim to an eBay scam promising equipment that never materialised; and even an attempt by organised criminals to sabotage a Premier League transfer deal after a club’s managing director had his emails hacked – in this case, the cyber criminal gang was foiled and missed out on a £1m bonanza.
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“I would urge sporting bodies to use this time to look at where they can improve their cyber security – doing so now will help protect them and millions of fans from the consequences of cyber crime.”
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NCSC: Defences tested as cyber attackers take aim at UK sports sector

Approximately 30% of incidents caused direct financial damage, averaging £10,000 each time; the biggest single loss was over £4 million

Over 70% of those surveyed have experienced one cyber incident or breach in the past year – 30% have recorded over 5 incidents during the same period

Over 80% have online business systems – such as ticketing – which process thousands of financial transactions

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NCSC: The cyber threat to sports organisations

The NCSC report highlights the cyber threats faced by the sports sector and suggests how to stop or lessen their impact on organisations
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guest · Jul 24, 2020

UK govt warns of ransomware, BEC attacks against sports sector
July 23, 2020
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/ne...ransomware-bec-attacks-against-sports-sector/

The UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) today highlighted the increasing risks posed by ransomware attacks, phishing campaigns, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) fraud schemes targeting sports organizations and teams, including Premier League football clubs.

"As the sports sector recovers from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and continues to plan for the future, the NCSC is urging organizations to consider the findings of its report and follow its advice, such as putting in place security controls – often at low cost - and backing up data," the agency said.

We are urging sports teams and organisations to strengthen their cyber security defences after a new survey revealed that 70% have been attacked by cyber criminals in the last 12 months... https://t.co/aesmuNcuAS pic.twitter.com/ZfDiL78o5R
— NCSC UK (@NCSC) July 23, 2020
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BEC fraud targeting football clubs, sporting orgs
Among the attacks highlighted in the report, the NCSC mentions two BEC fraud attempts — the biggest threat to sports organizations per the agency — against a Premier League football club and a UK sporting body via compromised Office 365 accounts.

In the case of the UK sporting body, attackers set up Office 365 auto-forwarding rules to external email accounts and managed to re-route almost 10,000 emails, some of them containing personal data on more than 100 individuals
Ransomware behind 25% of all malware attacks
As the NCSC says, roughly 40% of all attacks on sports organizations involved malware, with at least 25% of them involving some strain of ransomware.
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guest · Nov 20, 2020

Manchester United targeted in 'sophisticated' cyber attack
November 21, 2020
https://news.sky.com/story/manchester-united-targeted-in-sophisticated-cyber-attack-12137776

A club statement read: "Manchester United can confirm that the club has experienced a cyber attack on our systems.

"The club has taken swift action to contain the attack and is currently working with expert advisers to investigate the incident and minimise the ongoing IT disruption.
"Although this is a sophisticated operation by organised cyber criminals, the club has extensive protocols and procedures in place for such an event and had rehearsed for this eventuality.
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"Club media channels, including our website and app, are unaffected and we are not currently aware of any breach of personal data associated with our fans and customers.
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guest · Nov 21, 2020

Man Utd have ‘set the bar’ in their rapid response to cyber attack, says expert
November 21, 2020
https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/soccer/arid-40086842.html

Manchester United seem to be ahead of the curve in detecting computer hacking, according to a cyber security expert who urged the club to share details of the attack on their systems with Premier League rivals.

Tim Mackey, principal security strategist at the Synopsys Cybersecurity Research Centre, believes cyber crime has been on the rise in recent years and praised United’s anticipation of such an event.

He told the PA news agency: “Unlike many organisations, it definitely appears Manchester United has a very well-formed, well thought out incident response programme.
“Too often we hear stories of a cyber attack that occurred months ago and they’re now detecting it today. Manchester United being able to recognise this as quickly as they’ve done is fantastic.”
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“Manchester United has set the bar for how quickly to respond, how are other clubs able to at least achieve parity with what Manchester United has been able to demonstrate they can do?

“If I were a club owner, that would be one of the first conversations I would be having with my security teams.”
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guest · Nov 26, 2020

Man Utd 'being held to ransom' for millions by hackers who 'have control of club computers'
Mirror Sport reported last week that Manchester United had fallen victim to a cyber attack
November 26, 2020
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/man-utd-being-held-ransom-23075953

Manchester United are reportedly being held to ransom for millions of pounds by cyberhackers who still have control of the club's computer systems.

Mirror Sport reported last week that the Red Devils had fallen victim to a cyber attack, with IT specialists being drafted in overnight to help shut down the hack.
Man United were confident the hackers failed to breach any fan or customer data.

But according to the Daily Mail, the hackers still have control of the club's computer systems and The National Cyber Security Centre has confirmed it is helping United resolve the crisis.
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guest · Nov 27, 2020

Manchester United hopeful network will soon be restored after cyber attack
Cyber security agency assisting club following hacking
November 27, 2020
https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...ted-still-crippled-by-disruptive-cyber-attack

Manchester United are hopeful their internal IT will be restored shortly after the club suffered a cyber attack on their computer systems last week.

The National Cyber Security Centre has been assisting United, with the club working to ensure the network is secure before switching it back on. In the meantime email is unavailable to staff along with some other operations.

A NCSC spokesperson said: “The NCSC is aware of an incident affecting Manchester United football club and we are working with the organisation and partners to understand impact.” United are not commenting on who may be behind the attack and the motives.
The club said they would not comment on who was “responsible for this attack or the motives”.
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