Technology / 01.17.19

Students Help in CFP Cybersecurity

Access Staff

VenuesNow (01/09/19) Riley, Noelle

Norwich University and Respond Software analysts successfully foiled various cyberthreats reported at the College Football Playoff National Championship at Levi's Stadium. Students from Norwich's Applied Research Institute were stationed at a security situation center, using Respond Software's Respond Analyst software to monitor cyber-activity on the venue's computer systems. Norwich's Phil Susmann says the university's Cyber Conflict Research Institute has been collaborating with Levi's Stadium, the San Francisco 49ers, the Santa Clara Police Department, and Respond Software to reduce external threats that are not visible to the public. He notes the arena and Norwich first worked together in 2016 at Super Bowl 50. "[Initially] the wireless network was not protected," Susmann says. "Everything in these stadiums operate on control systems with computers, so that's why the cybersecurity is so important." Respond Software and Norwich have developed new algorithms to simplify threats. "We use a virtual security analyst that can consider every factor that is effective in making a decision if something is an actual issue," says Response Software's Chris Calvert.

Read the full article on VenuesNow.

Tags: Sports , Security , News , Stadium