‘Cyber crime affects all aspects of our highly connected lives’: Australian Open partner exposes cyber threats in sporting sector
CyberCX, Australia’s leading cyber security provider, has launched a campaign to mark its partnership with the Australian Open, while warning the sporting industry of its high levels of digital vulnerability.
Designed by award-winning director Glenn Stewart, the 30-second We Secure Our Communities television commercial highlights the interconnectedness of the economy, infrastructure, and society and our vulnerability to cyber crime, and will air on screens at the AO, as well as during 9Now’s footage of the tournament.
The campaign comes after CyberCX released a report — An unlevel playing field: Global sport and cyber threats — which warns the cyber threat level to the A$832 billion global sports market was very high, as it is perceived by threat actors as a high-value target.
The report recommends sporting organisations understand their cyber risks and implement security controls, regular security testing, software patching, and multi-factor authentication for key technology and systems.
“Cyber extortion groups perceive sporting bodies to be more likely to pay ransoms to recover from operational disruptions,” the company explains in the report.
“International profile and media attention makes sporting events attractive targets for advancing ideological and political issues, while association with prominent third-party brands and sponsors can attract controversy and political attention.”
Further to this, sport is strongly associated with national identity and culture, “increasing motivations for cyber espionage and influence campaigns.”
The rapid scale up of staffing and infrastructure for tentpole events “can introduce complexity and vulnerability into processes and systems, while third-party ticketing providers and broadcast partners introduce supply chain risk.”
CyberCX is also the cyber security partner to Collingwood Football Club and and Rugby Australia’s Wallabies and Wallaroos organisations.
Award winning director, Glenn Stewart, who helmed the TVC for CyberCX, said: “Symbols of community, infrastructure, and landmarks are realised to highlight how cyber crime affects all aspects of our highly connected lives, from transport and critical infrastructure to banks, health and even sport.
“By combining graphic overlays, cinematic visuals, and meticulously crafted sound design, we have created an immersive narrative that highlight’s CyberCX’s capabilities in a way that is visually stunning.”
Stewart directed and”single-handedly crafted the visual effects” for 2022 promotion The First Digital Nation: a project highlighting the impact of rising sea levels on Tuvalu that won over 60 awards, including the Cannes Lion Titanium Grand Prix.
CyberCX CEO John Paitaridis said: “It’s a privilege for CyberCX to be partnering with Tennis Australia and we are proud to be the Cyber Security Partner of the Australian Open in 2025 as the eyes of the world turn to Australia for one of the pre-eminent sporting events globally.
“The We Secure Our Communities campaign elevates this partnership to the next level and the TVC brings to life our core message: that CyberCX’s mission is to protect the communities in which we live and work”
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Nathan Jolly is the Features Editor at Mumbrella. He joined the team in July, 2023.
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