As excitement for the start of the 24/25 Premier League season reaches a fever pitch, fans of the sport are no doubt clambering to get hold of tickets for key matches. However, for Liverpool FC fans, these plans were halted when a cyber-attack temporarily suspended ticket sales for members just a few weeks back.
The cyber-attack in question was a sophisticated bot attack. This incident was not isolated. Our threat intelligence team has recorded and mitigated similar attempts by scalpers to obtain highly sought-after football match tickets for other Premier League teams.
Tickets to Premier League matches are among some of the most highly sought-after in the world, so as the season kicks off, we’ll look at the growing threat of bots, their role in ticket scalping, and how clubs can ensure they have the best defences in place.
The rising bot threat
At its most basic form, an internet bot is a software application that runs automated tasks over the Internet. Bot-run tasks are typically simple and performed at a much higher rate than human Internet activity.
Some bots are legitimate and harmless — for example, Googlebot is an application used by Google to crawl the Internet and index it for search. Other bots are malicious, such as bots used to automatically scan websites for software vulnerabilities and execute simple attack patterns.
Almost 50% of internet traffic now comes from non-human sources, with malicious bots comprising nearly one-third of all internet traffic. These bad bots have become more advanced and evasive, mimicking human behaviour to bypass traditional security defences.
The role of bots in ticket scalping
Bots can also be deployed to buy up large quantities of tickets when they become available, preventing genuine fans from purchasing tickets at face value. Scalpers then resell these tickets at significantly inflated prices, exploiting the high demand for these events.
Wherever there’s high demand with a limited supply, bot operators will take advantage of the resell value. This is precisely the case with tickets to highly popular sporting events. The English Premier League is the most popular football league in the world, and malicious actors are inevitably taking advantage.
A wider analysis found that there had been a 59% increase in attacks targeting European sports websites in January and another 66% increase in March, with security incidents increasing from the previous year.
This problem doesn’t just pertain to sports events either — whether it’s highly sought-after concert tickets, game consoles, or the release of limited-edition merchandise.
Why bots can cause an own goal for businesses
Ticket scalping is a huge problem for any sports organisation, as it ultimately punishes genuine fans and could damage a club’s long-term reputation. However, that isn’t the only issue bots present.
They can also overload servers, causing website downtime during crucial moments like match days, which impacts fan engagement and revenue.
Additionally, bots can steal sensitive data, leading to potential breaches and loss of consumer trust. They can also inflate web traffic metrics, giving a false sense of popularity and potentially misleading advertisers. For Premier League clubs, these issues can significantly affect their global brand and fan loyalty.
Assembling the right defence formation
Football clubs and other sports organisations need to implement a robust multi-layered defence strategy to protect their digital ecosystems.
Just like a football team needs a solid defence to protect its goal, companies must implement an advanced bot management solution to safeguard their digital assets. This solution acts as the defensive line, using behavioural analysis, device fingerprinting, and challenge-response authentication to distinguish between legitimate users and bots, effectively blocking malicious activity.
Continuous monitoring and real-time analytics are akin to the vigilant defenders who constantly scan the field for threats. By analysing traffic patterns and user behaviour, companies can quickly identify and respond to suspicious anomalies that may signal bot interference.
Securing public and private APIs is like fortifying the defensive midfield. APIs are prime targets for bots, and protecting them requires robust authentication, rate limiting, and encryption. Regular updates and patches are essential to close any vulnerabilities that bots might exploit.
Collaboration within the industry is similar to a team working together to share intelligence about the opponent’s strategies. By establishing a shared database of known bot signatures and participating in industry-wide forums, companies can enhance their collective security and stay ahead of emerging threats.
Finally, educating customers about the risks of bots and how to recognise suspicious activity is like coaching the team to be aware of potential threats. Clear communication about security measures and best practices empowers customers to contribute to a safer online environment.
The final whistle
As the Premier League gears up for another thrilling season, clubs must ensure they don’t score an own goal by neglecting their digital defences.
Just as a football team relies on a strong backline to fend off attacks, clubs need a robust, multi-layered security strategy to tackle the growing threat of bots.
By implementing advanced bot management solutions, continuously monitoring for threats, securing APIs, collaborating within the industry, and educating fans, clubs can protect their digital assets and maintain the trust and loyalty of their supporters. After all, in the game of cybersecurity, a solid defence is the best offence.
Read: Southampton FC strengthens its defences
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