Israeli security firms defend World Cup against drone, cyber threats

Israeli cybersecurity companies are playing a crucial role in defending the 2026 FIFA World Cup against a wide array of digital and physical threats. The tournament, hosted across the US, Mexico, and Canada, is described by KELA Group as the "largest digital battlefield in history." With an estimated 6.5 million ticketed attendees and a global viewership potentially reaching six billion, the event's reliance on a complex digital supply chain makes it vulnerable.

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the largest digital battlefield in history.

KELA Group, a key player in this defense, is actively monitoring the Dark Web and collaborating with authorities, primarily in the US. Their efforts focus on identifying and mitigating risks such as widespread ticket scams and deceptive website links. The company also highlights the influence of geopolitics on state-sponsored threat actors, noting the use of intelligence and psychological warfare by groups associated with Russia and Iran.

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enormous digital attack surface

These threats range from covert intelligence gathering by Russian hacktivists like APT28 to the use of AI-generated voices by Storm-1679 to incite fear. Iranian Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) actors are also a concern, having targeted critical infrastructure. Examples include Handala's attack on a US medical tech company and claims of access to operational technology at a Missouri water company. Or Lev, KELA Group's vice president of solution engineering, explained that these government-run APTs aim to conduct espionage, gather intelligence, and attack critical infrastructure to support their political agendas.

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massively interconnected digital supply chain involving third-party vendors, transportation, hospitality, and cloud services.