Darktrace finds more than 80% of professional sports organisations impacted by cyber-incidents in the last 12 months as AI raises the cybersecurity stakes
Publish Date: 2026-06-11 04:20:00
Source Domain: www.intelligentciso.com
New Darktrace research reveals 84% of professional sports organisations experienced a cyber incident in the past year, while growing AI adoption is creating new cybersecurity challenges across stadium operations, ticketing and fan engagement.
Darktrace, a global leader in AI for cybersecurity, has released new research showing 84% of professional sports organisations have experienced a cyber incident in the past 12 months. More than half (57%) were hit multiple times.
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup puts professional sport into the global spotlight, the new report, Cybersecurity in Global Sport: Threats, Signals, and Strategic Implications for a Digitized Industry, highlights how AI is changing the risk landscape for professional sports.
Attackers are using AI to create more convincing phishing emails, tailor lures to real teams, venues, sponsors, executives and events and move faster across complex digital environments. At the same time, sports organisations are adopting AI across their own operations, creating new blind spots for security teams.
Darktrace found that 83% of cybersecurity professionals in professional sports surveyed believe they have detected AI use in cyberattacks against them in the past 12 months, while 72% believe AI will increase cyber-risk over the next year.
That risk is amplified in professional sports, where live events, high-value data, public pressure, fixed schedules and large networks of partners and suppliers all intersect at once to offer attackers maximum publicity, profit and potential impact.
According to the survey, the average cyber incident cost sports organisations US$169,000 over the past 12 months. However, the real financial impact compounds: 57% reported being hit more than once and 43% reported between six and 10 incidents in a single year. For each of those organisations, the cumulative annual cost could climb to as much as US$1.7 million.
The wider impact goes beyond financial loss. In sport, a…
