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Securing the Game: Defending Against Cyber Threats Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Breadcrumb Home Insights Blog Defend Against Cyber Threats for FIFA World Cup 2026 December 24, 2025 The 2026 FIFA World Cup is just around the corner, and while the world gears up for an unforgettable tournament, there’s another game happening behind the scenes: the battle to keep our digital world safe. With the tournament’s unprecedented scale across three countries and millions of visitors, the cyber threat landscape is more complex than ever. Organizations and individuals must take proactive steps to safeguard operations, data and reputations. Prefer to watch? Check out the on-demand webinar here: Why Major Sporting Events Are Prime Targets Large-scale events have always attracted those seeking to disrupt, embarrass or profit. Wherever there’s a spotlight, there’s opportunity. The interconnected infrastructure supporting the World Cup — transportation, venues, financial institutions and telecom — creates multiple points of vulnerability. Disruptions can quickly cascade, impacting not just the games but the broader economy and society. This year, with 48 teams and three countries involved, things get even more complicated. Differing legal and regulatory requirements, combined with a hybrid threat landscape, demand heightened vigilance and preparation. What Kinds of Threats Should We Expect? Risks facing the 2026 World Cup are diverse and evolving. Here are some of the key risks to watch for: Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks: Attempts to disrupt broadcasts and operations can have significant reputational and financial consequences Ransomware and point-of-sale malware: Hotels, restaurants and retail vendors near event sites are likely targets, as are sponsors and small businesses benefiting from increased foot traffic Phishing and smishing: Expect a surge in scams leveraging the World Cup brand, team names and celebrity players to trick users into clicking malicious links. Critical infrastructure attacks: Transportation systems, payment networks and ATMs are at risk from nation-state actors and opportunistic cybercriminals AI-driven threats: Deepfakes, disinformation campaigns and the use of AI by less sophisticated criminals are expanding the threat surface Insider threats and supply chain risks: Heavy reliance on volunteers and third-party vendors introduces new vulnerabilities, especially if vetting processes are not robust Given these varied and sophisticated threats, it's crucial to understand how organizations and individuals can prepare to defend themselves during such a high-profile event. Taking a Proactive Stance: 8 Tips for Resilience Preparation is essential. Here are some practical steps to build resilience: Review and update your incident response plans. Make sure everyone knows what to do if something goes wrong. Run tabletop exercises. Practice scenarios like ransomware or DDoS attacks with your IT, security and leadership teams. Check in with your partners. Are your service providers, legal counsel and insurance contacts ready to help if needed? Test your backups and anti-DDoS solutions. Make sure they’re working and up to date. Train your team. Phishing simulations and awareness sessions can go a long way in preventing social engineering attacks. Plan for the unexpected. Incidents rarely happen at convenient times, so empower your teams to act quickly, even during off-hours. Vet your vendors and volunteers. Know who has access to your systems and data. Don’t forget about team welfare. Simple things like food, rest, and comfort help everyone stay sharp during long events. By understanding these risks, organizations can better position themselves to implement effective defenses and stay one step ahead of potential attackers. Key Takeaways No organization is too small to be a target. Even those not directly involved with the games can be affected by ripple effects or opportunistic attacks. Continuous practice is vital, and diligence is non-negotiable. Monitor for unusual activity, keep systems updated and maintain open lines of communication with law enforcement and partners. Data governance and privacy are also critical. With three host countries, understand where data is stored and how it is protected. Final Thoughts Protecting the integrity of global events like the World Cup is about more than sport. Integrated security creates stronger and more resilient organizations and communities. Preparation, practice, and trusted partnerships are the keys to success. If you’re looking for support to boost your cyber resilience ahead of the World Cup, Optiv’s cybersecurity specialists are here to help with incident response, tabletop exercises, AI security and more. Learn more about Optiv Canada’s services and expertise here. By: Lina Dabit Executive Director, Office of the CISO | Optiv Canada Lina has three decades of RCMP law enforcement leadership spanning frontline policing to national security, major and organized crime, protective operations and cybercrime. She has built and led teams tackling complex threats, both physical and digital, and worked at the intersection of intelligence, technology and public safety. Now in the role of executive director, office of the CISO at Optiv Canada, Lina brings a mission-driven approach to cybersecurity; combining operational insight with a passion for innovation and resilience. By: Danny Pickens Practice Director, Enterprise Incident Management | Optiv Danny Pickens has two decades of experience in the fields of military intelligence, counterterrorism and cyber security. Throughout his career, he has spent time at the tactical, operational and strategic level of intelligence and cyber operations within the United States military and various divisions of the Department of Defense and other U.S. Government organizations, as well as private enterprise. As the practice director of Optiv’s Enterprise Incident Management professional services team, Pickens is responsible for the direction and engagements of Optiv’s incident management services, encompassing both proactive and reactive incident management operations. By: Cheryl McGrath Area VP and Country General Manager | Optiv Canada Cheryl McGrath brings 20+ years of extensive leadership experience in client-focused positions with high-profile businesses in Canada. As part of her role in leading and accelerating growth, Cheryl oversaw Optiv Canada's expansion, with the acquisition of Conexsys in November 2017, doubling the size of the Canadian organization. McGrath was recently recognized with an IT lifetime achievement award by CDN, and she also holds an Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D) designation. Share: Optiv Security: Secure greatness.® Optiv is the cyber advisory and solutions leader, delivering strategic and technical expertise to nearly 6,000 companies across every major industry. We partner with organizations to advise, deploy and operate complete cybersecurity programs from strategy and managed security services to risk, integration and technology solutions. With clients at the center of our unmatched ecosystem of people, products, partners and programs, we accelerate business progress like no other company can. At Optiv, we manage cyber risk so you can secure your full potential. For more information, visit www.optiv.com.
Optiv Security: Secure greatness.® Optiv is the cyber advisory and solutions leader, delivering strategic and technical expertise to nearly 6,000 companies across every major industry. We partner with organizations to advise, deploy and operate complete cybersecurity programs from strategy and managed security services to risk, integration and technology solutions. With clients at the center of our unmatched ecosystem of people, products, partners and programs, we accelerate business progress like no other company can. At Optiv, we manage cyber risk so you can secure your full potential. For more information, visit www.optiv.com.