With the FIFA World Cup set to take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico this year, cybersecurity experts are sounding the alarm over increasing risks from rapidly evolving threats, including drones and wireless surveillance technologies.
The importance of wireless communications has surged, particularly with the connections to security systems and operational technology (OT). Over the last decade, these connections have expanded significantly. Drones, in particular, have seen increased usage in conflict zones, raising alarm about the potential dangers they pose to civilian populations.
Cordell Bennigson, CEO for the US market at R2 Wireless, emphasizes that threat actors could apply tactics from conflict zones to civilian environments. He states, "There's definitely a risk of disruption to operational technology, such as stadium systems, traffic management, or public safety communications, particularly when those systems have wireless components. The key issue is not having visibility, because cities can't defend what they can't see."
The FIFA World Cup in 2026 will be held in 16 stadiums across various cities in Canada, Mexico, and the US. The tournament will be larger than any previous events, featuring 48 teams and 104 games, which necessitates a significant increase in reliance on technology and automation.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine four years ago, physical cyber threats have rapidly evolved. In Ukraine, first-person-view (FPV) drones are regularly used for surveillance, significantly changing the dynamics of battlefield operations. Current estimates suggest that drones are responsible for 80% of casualties, a stark increase from less than 10% at the onset of the conflict.
A Complex Wireless Environment
During major events like the FIFA World Cup, host cities will encounter "one of the most complex radio-frequency (RF) environments a city will ever experience," according to Bennigson. He notes that the event will involve hundreds of thousands of people, thousands of devices, broadcast infrastructure, public safety communications, temporary networks, and increasingly autonomous systems operating simultaneously within a limited geographic area.
Active threats include attempts to hijack or jam the command-and-control signals used by event managers for venue security. Additionally, wireless networks can be exploited to compromise event systems. With the rise of modern wireless networks, such as 5G cellular, attacks have become more frequent. A report from equipment provider Nokia indicates that "breaches are the rule, not the exception."
Drone operations heavily depend on wireless signals and can be equipped with sensors for surveillance and communication harvesting. Although drones can be vulnerable to jamming, many operate over commercial cellular networks and may use onboard AI, which allows them to function without a strong wireless connection.
Krishna Vishnubhotla, vice president of product strategy at Zimperium, a mobile security solutions firm, highlights the limitations faced by local law enforcement agencies. He mentions, "Most local law enforcement can't even use basic counter-drone tools," stressing that the upcoming World Cup is a prime target for threats such as drones, wireless surveillance, and cascading infrastructure failures.
Passive Cyber Aggression
Active threats are not the only concerns during large events. Wireless technology can also be exploited to monitor and map device locations, harvest metadata, and conduct both airborne and ground-based surveillance. Bennigson points out that attackers have numerous targets due to the reliance on temporary communications infrastructure and rapid deployment of technology during such events.
"The RF spectrum becomes both the battlefield and the blind spot," Bennigson states. "In a high-density RF environment, we can expect malicious actors to hide within legitimate traffic. The noise becomes their cover."
To safeguard against such threats, event managers must secure the wireless spectrum in the areas surrounding major events like the FIFA World Cup. Vishnubhotla stresses that effective defense requires a layered approach, combining RF, radar, acoustic, and optical detection systems, as adversaries tend to exploit any single system's vulnerabilities.
Both the EU and US are increasingly adopting AI-driven spectrum monitoring and implementing controls to limit cellular control of drones and other anti-drone technologies. Additionally, training personnel to operate in hostile wireless environments is critical for minimizing risks at large-scale events in the future.
