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What Orgs Can Learn From Olympics, World Cup IR Plans In this Reporters' Notebook, we discuss cyberattackers targeting the Milan-Cortina Winter Games, adding them to a long list of global sporting events in the crosshairs. Though the attack surface is grander, there are key defense takeaways for regular enterprises too. Tara Seals , Managing Editor, News , Dark Reading March 12, 2026 Source: Dark Reading In the latest installment of our monthly Reporters' Notebook video series, Dark Reading's Tara Seals, TechTarget Search Security's Sharon Shea, and Cybersecurity Dive's David Jones discuss cybersecurity concerns around the just-concluded Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina (and the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup ), with an eye to what these global sports events can teach everyday businesses about incident-response preparation . Large-scale global events like the Olympics and the World Cup are not just spectacles of athleticism and entertainment — they're also prime targets for cyberattacks. These events involve complex networks of third-party vendors, sponsors, and service providers, creating a vast attack surface that mirrors the challenges faced by everyday businesses, just on a grander scale. Both global events and regular businesses face the same types of threats: ransomware, phishing, malware, data exfiltration, critical infrastructure disruption, and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks . And for organizations of all sizes, the cybersecurity strategies employed during these high-profile events offer valuable lessons in incident response, risk management, and resilience. Related: EU Auto Rules Shift Gears on Cybersecurity Standards For instance, take the importance of preparation and proactive planning : the Italian government confirmed that it thwarted unspecified attacks on the Winter Games leading up its start. Event organizers have been conducting simulations, tabletop exercises, and red team/blue team drills to test their incident-response plans, and it paid off. Enterprises should also regularly evaluate their own cybersecurity readiness, develop well-vetted playbooks , and ensure that response teams are trained to act under pressure. Maintaining clear and consistent communication during crises is essential for preserving trust and minimizing operational disruptions. Another critical lesson is the need to secure third-party ecosystems. Large events rely on a network of partners, suppliers, and service providers, and a single weak link can compromise the entire operation. Similarly, businesses must continuously monitor their vendors and supply chains to ensure a secure ecosystem. By adopting layered defenses, fostering strong alliances, and learning from the challenges faced by global events, organizations can strengthen their cybersecurity posture and better prepare for the evolving threat landscape. Learn more in the video, and also check out our Reporter's Notebook full series, available here , which is designed to bring together insights and coverage from across Informa TechTarget's network of cybersecurity sister sites. Related: PCI Council Says Threats to Payments Systems Are Speeding Up Tara Seals, Sharon Shea & Dave Jones: Full Video Transcript This transcript has been edited for clarity and length by Informa TechTarget's internal AI assistant. For the full experience, please watch the video. Dark Reading’s Tara Seals: Hello, everybody. Thank you for joining us for the latest installment of Reporters’ Notebook, featuring editors and reporters from Cybersecurity Dive, Tech Target Search Security, and Dark Reading. I'm Tara Seals, Managing Editor for News at Dark Reading. I am joined here by: TechTarget Search Security’s Sharon Shea: I'm Sharon Shea, Executive Editor at TechTarget Search Security. Cybersecurity Dive’s David Jones: David Jones, reporter at Cybersecurity Dive. DR’s Tara Seals: Great, thanks for joining. The Winter Olympics just concluded in Milan and Cortina, and now we're looking ahead to the World Cup this summer in North America. These high-profile events draw billions of viewers worldwide, lots of visitors, and involve many moving parts to make them happen. That makes them an attractive target for cyberattacks, and there's a history of attacks on these events over the years. In Milan for instance this time, the Italian government said they thwarted some attacks, though they didn’t detail them publicly. Related: Dark Patterns Undermine Security, One Click at a Time While it might seem like these events have little in common with everyday businesses, I think there are valuable incident response lessons to be learned. Dave, I know you've done a lot of reporting on some of the risks around these big events. That might be a good place to start. CD’s David Jones: Thanks, Tara. There are a couple of issues at play here, given the current global climate, including the conflict in Iran and challenges with key adversaries overseas. Events like these require careful consideration of the venue and coordination with allies to prepare and respond to potential incidents. These events involve a wide range of potential disruptions , from physical security to digital security. You want attendees, including diplomats, celebrities, and political leaders, to feel safe and welcome without turning the event into a stifling police operation. One major attraction for attackers is the ability to make a broad statement to millions of people through disruptions, such as interrupting broadcasts or delaying live coverage. We've seen attempts at this during previous Olympic Games. Ensuring these events proceed without visible disruptions is a significant undertaking. DR’s Tara Seals: The Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics is a prime example of disruption. The Olympic Destroyer malware caused issues during the Opening Ceremony , including taking down Wi-Fi networks, ticketing systems, and contributing to flickering broadcast infrastructure. While the attackers didn’t achieve their full intent, the incident highlighted the importance of planning and incident response. Similarly, during the London Olympics, the UK thwarted an attack on the power grid. While nothing happened publicly, behind the scenes it was a frenzied incident-response situation. These examples show how common these challenges are for large-scale events. Dave, in your reporting on World Cup threats, what are some commonalities between these events and everyday businesses? CD’s David Jones: Major businesses often sponsor global events, send senior executives to attend, or have critical proprietary or customer data at risk during these events. These executives, who have access to sensitive data, may be targeted personally, whether through tracking, compromised devices, or identity theft. Attackers could use stolen identities to send messages in their names, potentially gaining access to the company’s systems. Protecting these individuals and preserving the company’s reputation is crucial. This isn’t just relevant for sporting events but also for large company meetings, business conferences, and multinational events. Companies need to ensure their security measures are robust to protect their people, data, and brand image. DR’s Tara Seals: Absolutely. If you distill the threats seen at events like the Olympics, World Cups, and other big events like the Super Bowl , they’re the same as those faced by everyday businesses — just on a larger scale. Phishing, DDoS, hacktivism, infrastructure disruption, malware, data exfiltration, spyware implantation, and more. These global events provide a unique opportunity to see how incident response should be architected. The threats are the same, but the scale is larger. Sharon, can you talk about some incident response best practices we can learn from these events? TTSS’s Sharon Shea