In the fast-paced world of motorsport, cybersecurity has become vital for safeguarding the data that keeps Formula One and Formula E teams competitive and protected from digital threats.
Motorsports teams use data extensively to optimise performance, strategise race tactics, and enhance vehicle reliability. Therefore, such sensitive information needs to be kept secure.
And hacks do happen. Earlier this month, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the governing body for Formula One, revealed that hackers had gained access to sensitive data following a cyber-attack.
Other well-known cyber-attacks in motorsport include a ransomware attack on Ferrari in 2022. According to reports, a ransomware group stole internal documents, claiming it also took datasheets, manuals, and seven gigabytes worth of information.
In 2015, Mercedes sued one of its former engineers after they allegedly stole trade secrets and technical information from the F1 team before moving to Ferrari. The former employee accessed and recorded engine mileage, damage, and raw data from the 2015 Hungary Grand Prix.
So, how are teams staying secure? TI spoke with Williams Racing and TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E to learn more.
Speaking on Porsche Motorsport’s alliance with cybersecurity firm Cato Networks, Friedemann Kurz, head of IT at Porsche Motorsport, explains that before the partnership, managing the network and its security required the efforts of two full-time personnel.
“Motorsports teams face several unique risks, including managing limited resources like time, personnel, and budget while ensuring the security and integrity of data,” he explains.
Other challenges include transporting data as they attend international races — “when travelling globally, the risk of cyberthreats and data breaches increases.”
When the tech team is so focused on protecting the team, focus is taken away from race strategy, he says, making investing in technology that enhances security crucial.
“The security and reliability of data transmissions worldwide are vital for our team. The insights gained on the race circuit are essential for advancing our sport, and any compromise in data integrity can have significant consequences,” he says.
The team uses Cato Networks’ Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Cloud platform to secure its data while allowing the team to access and protect it from wherever they are in the world “whether at a racetrack, during travel, or at our test and development centre in Weissach — the home of Porsche Motorsport.”
Previously, many of its processes were centrally managed at the base. The team needed on-site support from central IT for any unexpected configurations, such as setting up new router rules.
However, with Cato Networks’ cloud-native networking and security infrastructure, the team has everything at the track and has more control, flexibility and efficiency needed to make informed decisions in real time.
“If we need a new firewall rule, we can implement it ourselves without external support,” Kurz explains.
“This agility is particularly critical around race days, where increased risk and the need for rapid decision-making are paramount.”
On top of this, the Formula E team has a dedicated team of security experts managing the underlying SASE infrastructure.
Their job is to ensure protective measures are up-to-date and monitor data traffic for potential threats. “This proactive approach not only challenges attackers but also relieves our IT department and reduces costs associated with security components.”
Overall, the team can view all security over the platform’s single pane of glass view, which extends to configuring, analysing and troubleshooting.
“This shift has directly contributed to our enhanced on-track performance and overall success as the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team,” enthuses Kurz.
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“Formula One is one of the most technologically advanced sports in the world,” James Bower, commercial director of Williams Racing, tells TI, “And it’s had a period of huge growth and transformation over the last five years.”
Bower enforces that “everything is driven by data, and protecting that data is absolutely critical.”
For the Williams Racing Formula One team, the threat of a cyber-attack is “relentless.”
“The races, the developing periods, and the launch of the car each season attract cyberthreats,” says Bower.
Plus, the organisation has around one thousand employees – so it has the capacity of a small-to-medium-sized business, says Bower, but the threat level is “disproportionate because it’s an internationally known brand.”
In 2021, Williams was forced to call off an augmented reality-based launch event of a new car due to a hack. The cyber-attack meant that the app was no longer accessible, and it also saw the leak of several images of the new car.
Although the hack happened “completely outside of Williams Racing in-house systems and networks,” according to reports at the time — Williams said in a statement that it was protected by “leading cybersecurity companies” — the incident demonstrates that bad actors do have genuine intentions to disrupt motorsports teams.
As of April, Williams Racing has partnered with cybersecurity firm Keeper Security to keep its passwords, secrets, connections, and privileged access connected.
“Since every aspect of Formula One relies on data, our role in protecting data and securing organisations makes partnering with Formula One an ideal choice,” says Keeper’s director of global communications.
“Our data is one of our most important assets, and protecting it is paramount,” says James Vowles, team principal at Williams Racing.
“Maintaining hundreds of passwords to keep our information safe and data protected requires robust and trusted systems.”
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