Informa TechTarget | SearchSecurity Cybersecurity Dive InformationWeek Channel Dive Explore our brands Dark Reading Resource Library Black Hat News Omdia Cybersecurity Advertise NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP Cybersecurity Topics World The Edge DR Technology Events Resources CYBER RISK CYBERSECURITY OPERATIONS PHYSICAL SECURITY COMMENTARY Cybersecurity Keeps Events 'Uneventful' From the World Cup to the United States' 250th celebration, this year's event calendar has been packed with high-profile gatherings that drew global audiences, intense scrutiny, and enormous security demands. Olga PolishchukZeroFox July 20, 2026 3 Min Read SOURCE: OLEH SLOBODENIUK VIA GETTY IMAGES OPINION The threats surrounding major events often begin long before anyone reaches the gate. A compromised hotel system can reveal where athletes, executives, or delegations are staying. A breach involving government or ministry offices can expose schedules and movements. Threats aimed at fan events, themed gatherings, or transit hubs can target the outer ring of security, where crowds are harder to control and attackers may see more opportunity. I've spent much of my career looking at how risks take shape around major events, executives, and public-facing organizations. In that time, I've seen event security programs become more sophisticated, better resourced, and more comprehensive. Cameras, bag checks, and perimeter controls remain essential, but they work best as part of a broader strategy. The most effective programs account for risks forming across the wider event ecosystem, digitally and physically, before attendees ever arrive. Related:Forgotten Bootloaders Expose Secure Boot Blind Spot Across the assessments I've worked on, I've seen the same pattern emerge. Premeditated threats usually leave digital traces before they create visible security concerns. Those signals can form around any major gathering, from a championship match or global competition to a festival or political event, because hostile activity tends to organize around the brand, the audience, the people attending, and the digital exposure created by all of it. The disrupted Taylor Swift concert plot in Vienna in 2024 illustrates why this matters. The warning signs did not begin at the venue or on the day of the event. Authorities were able to act before the concerts took place after intelligence surfaced from sources like Telegram. The case showed how online activity can surface threats with serious physical implications, and why digital intelligence must be part of event security planning from the start. Preparing to secure an event requires looking at both the physical environment and the digital activity surrounding it. Risks tied to public safety, travel, ticketing, impersonation, data exposure, and cybercrime may appear separate on paper, but they often connect in ways that shape real-world security decisions. Good Strategy Starts Before Event Day The most effective event security strategies begin long before the event itself. Pre-event assessments should look across the full ecosystem surrounding the gathering, including the venue, vendors, high-profile attendees, online communities, travel infrastructure, and nearby gathering points. A practical program should prioritize three areas: Related:Nigeria Deepens Cybersecurity Efforts as Cybercriminals See More Profits High-profile individuals: Recent incidents, including the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the assassination of Charlie Kirk, show that public violence is not always aimed at crowds. Often, the risk centers on a specific person whose visibility, schedule, or movements create exposure. Activity outside the perimeter: Strong venue security matters, but not every risk moves through the front gate. A shooting near SXSW, even if unrelated to the event itself, shows why teams need to understand what is happening around hotels, transportation routes, restaurants, fan events, and public spaces where attendees gather. Early digital threat intelligence: Security investment should not stop at physical protection. Teams also need resources to monitor digital signals early, use technology to triage activity, rely on analysts to validate risk, and act quickly when escalation or takedowns are needed. The goal is not to chase every signal. It is to identify the signals that matter, understand how they connect, and make the right decisions before the pressure hits. That requires collaboration before there is a crisis, with physical security, cyber, executive protection, communications, legal, vendors, venue operators, and public-sector partners working from the same risk picture. Related:Manage Vendor Risk in a Few Practical Steps The teams that succeed are the ones that define ownership early, share intelligence across functions, and give both physical and digital teams a clear path to act. The goal is not to see everything but to recognize the signals that matter early enough to protect people before a risk becomes a crisis. Read more about: Opinion About the Author Olga Polishchuk ZeroFox Olga Polishchuk is a security and intelligence professional with over a decade of experience in corporate security, open-source intelligence, threat & risk assessments, and a wide array of physical and information security investigations. Olga serves as the Senior Director of Threat Analysis and Investigations at ZeroFox, focusing on tactical investigations, threat assessments, and strategic intelligence. Want more Dark Reading stories in your Google search results? 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