AI amplifies cyber risk in professional sports, Darktrace report finds

As noted by Tech Radar, a new report from Darktrace highlights how artificial intelligence is significantly increasing cybersecurity risks within the professional sports industry. The report indicates that AI is being used by attackers to create more sophisticated threats and that sports organizations themselves are introducing new vulnerabilities by adopting AI without adequate safeguards.

The Darktrace report reveals that 84% of professional sports organizations experienced at least one cyber incident in the past year, with 83% detecting the use of AI in these attacks. Attackers are leveraging AI for convincing phishing lures, deepfakes, and brand impersonation. Simultaneously, sports clubs are deploying AI technologies without sufficient security measures, expanding their attack surface.

These incidents carry an average cost of approximately $170,000 per event. For organizations experiencing multiple breaches, annual losses can escalate to $1.7 million, underscoring the substantial financial and operational impact of these evolving cyber threats on the sports sector.

Source: Tech Radar