The technology behind large-scale events

The Threat Landscape

The range of threats disrupting large-scale events internationally is broader than ever. Physical threats, crowd movements, transport congestion, and malicious drone use require increasingly sophisticated security systems to protect event locations, public spaces, and transport systems, ensuring participants’ safety and comfort. 

Just some of the other threats that need to be taken into consideration and planned for include: 

• Anticipated spikes in business logic attacks, SQL injection, and bot activity, alongside DDoS attacks. 
• The influx of gig workers, contractors, seasonal staff, and guest users – necessitating a delicate balance between safeguarding sensitive corporate data and providing secure access. 
• Cyber propaganda and misinformation campaigns that can damage the reputations of individuals, sponsor organizations, or the event host. 
• The rise of phishing, social engineering, and bot activity related to ticket purchases or merchandise are also anticipated – potentially leading to the sale of fake tickets, or loss of customer data. 
• The targeting of telecommunication channels to disrupt broadcasting services, steal and resell feeds, or damage providers’ reputations. 

Ensuring Security with a Single Pane of Glass View

There’s a myriad of technology that can meet these challenges. Intelligence-gathering, access control systems with scanners, identity recognition, and gate monitors prevent physical threats without slowing entry flows. Detecting suspicious packages or unusual activity quickly dispatches response teams and establishes security perimeters. 

Thales’s Smart Digital Platform integrates physical and virtual sensors, including video cameras, audio sensors, radars, intrusion detection, access control systems, cyberthreat detection sensors, social media analysis tools, and citizen alert apps. This platform aggregates and analyses vast data using Big Data and AI technologies, providing real-time situational awareness and aiding human security operators and law enforcement in decision-making. It offers a single pane of glass solution, streamlining the management of all security operations. 

To further enhance security, we are strengthening our detection capabilities for our clients through our Security Operation Centres (SOCs). Thales’s SOCs are advanced facilities that monitor and analyse security events in real-time, ensuring rapid response to potential threats. To be responsive, Thales has implemented advanced detection techniques based on Artificial Intelligence algorithms with its partner Google Cloud. 

We are also deploying additional detection products in critical infrastructures that will be affected by social pressure. Our Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) service will align its sensors to be relevant for detecting and responding to cyber threats, providing actionable insights to pre-empt and mitigate attacks. 

Digital technologies anticipate and defuse threats by analysing social media feeds, alerting citizens to danger, and enabling them to report suspicious activity. Sophisticated sensors and data analytics help manage people and traffic flows intelligently. 

When it comes to protecting telecommunications and ISPs against targeted attacks, we have a number of preventative measures in place. Whether it be protecting; applications, APIs and databases in the cloud, infrastructure from the edge to the data, or websites, networks and applications from bad bot attacks or during downtime from DDoS and DNS – Thales have a number of services and solutions to ensure telecoms and ISPs can protect their customers’ sensitive data whilst meeting legislative compliance. 

Seamless travel

During large-scale events, public transport can often be overwhelming – both for travellers navigating the city and transport operators dealing with overwhelming demand. 

Mobile ticketing in public transit offers numerous advantages for both. Commuters can conveniently buy tickets at any time without needing to visit a ticket booth, saving them the hassle of waiting in line or finding exact change. For transit agencies, digitizing ticketing systems not only enhances the user experience but also significantly reduces the operational costs linked to producing physical fare products. 

A recent example is the new digital Navigo pass which has been introduced for the Paris region – allowing commuters to simply tap their iPhone or Apple Watch in order to use the Metro, train or bus throughout the city – relieving the pressure on ticketing desks. There is no need for fingerprint or facial authentication, making travel more seamless for commuters. 

Drones

Although malicious drone activity can pose risks to large-scale events, deploying advanced drone surveillance is crucial for maintaining safety at densely-populated, high-profile events. Equipped with high-resolution cameras, drones offer real-time video feeds that enhance transparency and situational awareness on the ground. This capability aids event organisers and law enforcement in identifying hazards, monitoring crowd movements and density, detecting suspicious activities, and supporting emergency response efforts.  

Additionally, long-range drones can perform surveillance tasks from a distance, which is particularly beneficial at busy metropolitan event venues. This remote surveillance is invaluable for identifying threats and compensating for limited on-ground personnel. The comprehensive, real-time perspective provided by drones significantly boosts public safety for both attendees and the surrounding community. 

Digital IDs

Ticket scalping and re-selling is unfortunately a common issue faced by fans, event organisers, and artists alike. Thankfully, digital IDs offer a scalable solution to ensure both compliance and safety at large-scale events.  

By linking tickets to Digital IDs, event organisers can ensure that genuine ticket holders, rather than scalpers, rightfully hold the tickets. Each attendee’s digital identity can then be verified using a form of biometrics, such as facial or fingerprint recognition, on entry, thereby authenticating the ticket and ticket holder’s authenticity. This added layer of security helps further invalidate counterfeit tickets and prevent unauthorised entry on the door.  

Beyond the threat of scalping, digital IDs also facilitate streamlined, contactless access to events, eliminating the dreaded long queues and reducing the risk of dangerous crowds developing. Digital IDs can also verify attributes like age, ensuring that attendees meet specific requirements and comply with event restrictions, thereby improving compliance, too.

On the go biometrics

When a stadium becomes a crime scene, mobile biometric identification technologies enable officers to swiftly process fingerprints and identify suspects in such dynamic environments.  

These biometric technologies allow police to analyse fingerprints and perform facial recognition on the spot using a standard police smartphone, eliminating the need to return to the station. Officers can immediately access extensive information about the suspect’s identity, criminal history, and court records, better informing decision making in the field.  

With AI-driven data analysis, officers in control rooms and on patrol can also access real-time relevant data and intelligence. This not only enhances resource allocation and betters operational efficiency, but also enables field officers to respond to incidents quickly and effectively.  

The final word

Given the range of threats at play– from cyberattacks to ticket scalping, physical threats, and dangerous crowd dynamics – the ecosystem must be multi-faceted to effectively respond to any, and all, threats. With a diverse tech backing, alongside effective collaboration between event organisers and law enforcement, large-scale event security can be well-informed, agile, and quick-to-respond.

The integration of advanced security and transport technologies at events will be crucial in ensuring both safety and convenience for all attendees. By leveraging these innovations, cities and event organizers can create a more secure and enjoyable experience, allowing everyone to focus on the excitement of the events themselves.