Singapore - Global experts in sporting event security gathered at the INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation to share best practices to create cybersecurity plans for major sporting and other events.

The two-day (20 and 21 May) meeting brought together some 12 experts from seven countries to identify ways in which the cyber environment poses security challenges to international sporting events, to develop and implement strategies to combat this threat, in addition to raising public awareness.

The meeting was held under the auspices of INTERPOL’s Project Stadia which is funded by Qatar and will culminate with the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The project aims to create a centre of excellence and good practice through its knowledge management system to help INTERPOL’s member countries in planning and executing security preparations, both physical and cyber, for major sporting events.

“All INTERPOL member countries will benefit from this crucial global expertise for the design and implementation of national cyber resilience capability, allowing states to better protect their cyber infrastructure for an international major sporting event,” said Michael O’Connell, INTERPOL’s Director of Operational Police Support and Head of Project Stadia.

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar provides a unique opportunity to improve international collaboration in cyber security. INTERPOL, through Project Stadia and its Global Centre for Innovation in Singapore, provides a secure environment to facilitate the sharing of sensitive policing practices,” said Lieutenant Abdulaziz Al-Thani, Information Security Officer, Ministry of Interior of Qatar.

Countries represented at the meeting: Australia, Japan, South Korea, Qatar, Spain, UK and US. The expert group will meet on a yearly basis until 2022.