Just two days before the PGA Championship, hackers breached the computer servers of the PGA of America, locked officials out of important files for the tournament, and demanded ransom to reinstate access. Golfweek reported the attack and noted that the hackers’ message included a Bitcoin wallet number, although did not specify the ransom amount.
A PGA spokesperson declined comment, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation. One source told Golfweek that the golf organization had no intention to meet the demands.
The magazine noted that the affected files included creative materials—banners, logos, and signage—for both the PGA Championship at St. Louis’ Bellerive Country Club and the Ryder Cup that begins on Sept. 28 in the Parisian suburbs. The hackers’ message read, in part: “Your network has been penetrated. All files on each host in the network have been encrypted with a strong algorythm [sic].”
SportTechie Takeaway
The impact of Russian hackers on the 2016 national elections broadly increased awareness of the need for cybersecurity. Sports had a hacking crisis that same year when confidential information in the World Anti-Doping Agency database was stolen and released. Last month, Fenway Park hosted a panel on the need for venue safety and security that covered the need to protect computer systems. Groups dedicated to sports cybersecurity have also begun emerging, including the Sports ISAO (Information Sharing and Analysis Organizations). In 2015, President Barack Obama issued an executive order directing the Department of Homeland Security to foster the creation and efforts of ISAOs.