AIPC
Safer … bit by bit
ROBERT MCCLURE, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF CYBER SECURITY FOR CONVENTION CENTRE SPECIALISTS PARATUS, AND SVEN BOSSU, CEO, AIPC, OFFER SOME SECURITY INSIGHTS
M aking sure that delegates
feel welcome, secure and safe when entering a convention centre takes a lot of effort, in all phases of the event lifecycle. Over the last years – in line with the rise of digital in the event space – cyber security has become increasingly important. While less visible than security guards and scanners, its importance cannot be underestimated. We have all seen the Hollywood blockbuster whereby an evil genius takes over the digital assets of an organisation / country and is able to manipulate / destroy its physical environment( Zero Day with Robert de Niro is one recent addition to the genre). How serious governments and companies across the world are taking the cyber threat is demonstrated by the investment made. Global spending reached $ 87bn in 2024. One key driver was Covid. With organisations worldwide sending their employees into the home office for work, this decentralisation of an organisation’ s IT landscape created new vulnerabilities for malicious actors to exploit. And IT specialists concur there has been an increase in cyberattacks following the pandemic. As a result, cybersecurity remains a priority for ensuring operability of companies and data security.
Convention centres are also increasingly occupied with cyber security. According to data collected via the AIPC Cyber Task Force – in partnership with PARATUS – convention centres are being attacked
Above: Sven Bossu
“ While less visible than security guards and scanners, the importance of cyber security cannot be underestimated.”
( on average) 340 times per week. These attacks vary from targeted spear phishing to ransomware and can have significant impact, worst case being the full shutdown of a venue.
We see key trends when it comes to cyber attacks in 2025, based on data collected over the last two years and recent events. The first is the expansion of phishing and spear phishing as a result of AI involvement and tools. These are used to build authenticity via‘ cross-believability’, meaning that the attacker works across domains – social, cellular, etc. The quality of these attacks is also increasing. For example: at AIPC, we received an e-mail from the president, which was embedded in a logical string of mails with other persons known to AIPC, requesting for a transfer of funds.
The second trend is‘ cyber-attacks for the masses’. There are many forums and tools available for anyone interested in this topic, making it a lot easier to launch an attack, with examples even on Youtube and Tiktok.
Thirdly, there is the rise of state versus state. Especially in times of tense geopolitics, this remains a key threat to convention centres, given the unique position they hold for landmark occasions.
Fourth is‘ malware-as-a-service’. A typical example would be‘ install ware’ systems which mimic updates, maintenance and software systems.
Finally, there is the ransomware, which is now being integrated with AI, similar to the phishing method described above.
While it is not possible to be 100 % protected, there are three things to consider for any organisation: first, do regular test and vulnerability screening. There are many ways to do so. Second, invest in employee training. Thirdly: make sure to have a process in place on what to do when you are being attacked. These will take you a long way in making your environment safer for you and your customers. n
10 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / ISSUE 136