Cisco security is excited and ready for another exciting, action-packed season in the NFL!
The number one responsibility of any NFL lineman can be summed up in one word: Protection. Protect the Quarterback. Protect the Kicker. Protect the Running back.
And before any running back accelerates through a hole, he hears the voices of countless coaches from throughout his years of development: “Protect the football.”
Without protection, success becomes difficult to achieve. One breach in protection could end a potential scoring drive or result in a turnover.
If anybody understands the importance of protection, it’s the NFL.
When it comes to protecting cyber infrastructure, the stakes are just as high. Any breach can have devastating consequences.
And that’s why Cisco is excited to continue its partnership with the NFL for the 2023 season. Cisco is An Official Cybersecurity Partner of the NFL and will secure and protect critical aspects of gameday operations, including the fan experience at stadiums and locations across the country throughout the season.
“Cisco’s extensive experience securing large events and their deep understanding of the threat landscape ensure that we were well-prepared as we head into a new season,” said Tomás Maldonado, NFL Chief Information Security Officer. “I am extremely appreciative of the entire Cisco team and their support. We will continue working together to refine our network and security planning and execution for some of the most exciting and most visible events in the country.”
Cisco’s complete security architecture will provide end-to-end visibility with a combination of on-premises hardware and cloud-based software, including Cisco Secure Firewall, Cisco Secure Malware Analytics, and Cisco Umbrella. All solutions are fed intelligence from Cisco Talos , an elite group of security experts devoted to providing superior protection for our customers, products and services. Cybersecurity experts from Cisco Talos and Cisco Customer Experience (CX) services will once again support the NFL on-site and remotely to prepare for the event and respond to potential threats during the games to prevent disruptions.
“We are honored that the NFL will once again trust Cisco technology and talent to ensure vital operations remain resilient throughout the season,” says Chuck Robbins, Chair and CEO at Cisco. “We share the vision that connectivity will reshape the sports industry and redefine what is possible to elevate the sporting and fan experiences, but we also have a responsibility to ensure it’s done securely.”
Defenses will do anything to get to the Quarterback, from running blitzes to deceptive coverages. But like a great offensive line, Cisco Security dialed up a perfect protection game plan last year against attacks and threats for Super Bowl LVII. The post-game stats are impressive!
- 16,714 security intelligence events blocked by Cisco Secure Firewall, powered by Cisco Talos.
- 416,000 blocked connections to/from block listed areas of the world through the Cisco Secure Firewall geo-blocking capability.
- 8,884 intrusion events identified, analyzed, and triaged by the Cisco Security Monitoring Team.
- Analyzed 95 million DNS requests from the NFL and associated network users leading up to and during the game so they could quickly access and share uninterrupted game content with fans.
- Blocked more than 187,000 DNS requests, preventing access to malicious websites.
The road to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas begins now, and Cisco Security will be there every step of the way, game by game, stadium by stadium, event by event. But fans and NFL employees will probably not even notice that we are there. They’ll just be able to enjoy their favorite teams and all the exciting action, safely and securely, from home, in the stadium or around the globe.
To learn more, check out the latest video on the Cisco / NFL partnership.
Don’t miss out on the on-demand LinkedIn event, “Game Changing Security: How Cisco is connecting and protecting the NFL,” featuring Carrie Palin, Cisco SVP & CMO, Cisco and Cathy Lanier, the Chief Security Officer for the NFL.
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