Cybersecurity moves from back-office concern to operational priority for sports organizations

This article surveys cybersecurity risks facing professional sports organizations and major events, noting how large volumes of sensitive data, complex third‑party ecosystems, identity and stadium infrastructure, and betting-related incentives expose teams and events to ransomware, malware, data leaks, and other criminal activity; it recommends Zero Trust measures (application allowlisting, least privilege/PAM, network segmentation) and readiness planning to reduce impact.