As Saudi Arabia makes progress towards Vision 2030, cyberattacks remain a significant concern. But of all the arenas where security efforts are being redoubled, among the more surprising must be in the world of sports. For example, spectators rarely glimpse the digital transformation happening off the track in the high speed of motorsport. But in January, as part of its Risk to Resilience (R2R) World Tour in Riyadh, global cybersecurity leader Trend Micro teamed up with the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team to highlight the critical role of cybersecurity

“Our multi-year partnership with the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team marks a significant milestone in blending advanced cybersecurity with high-speed technology,” said David Chow, Chief Technology Strategy Officer, Trend Micro. “It’s exciting for us to highlight our cybersecurity expertise to one of the most technologically sophisticated sports environments. Formula E racing has unique challenges that present themselves in real time with no room for error.”

Trend Micro's collaboration with the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team marks the beginning of its journey in the motorsports arena. Chow sees the partnership as a prelude to Trend Micro becoming instrumental in reducing the threat landscape

“Formula E racing is high-tech, high-speed, and high-pressure,” he said. “And the cybersecurity challenges at play are, unsurprisingly, unique. Trend Micro is ideally equipped to deliver on racing teams’ reliance on real-time data transmission and complex connected technologies because we understand where and how the threat actor may strike.”

The technology ecosystem of Formula E is intricately designed, featuring Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and devices, all supported by comprehensive cloud platforms, services, and applications. Trend Micro, with its strong foundation in network security and cloud protection, highlights the importance of advanced security measures in today's digital landscapes.

Outside racing lines, Trend Micro is a go-to brand for corporations and consumers alike, offering protection against human-centric threats like social engineering and phishing attacks through a range of off-the-shelf solutions and training courses. Its expertise also covers identity protection, incident response, and threat intelligence.

The Middle East and Africa region presents a complex cybersecurity landscape marked, from Trend Micro’s perspective, by “both challenges and opportunities”. The company’s partnership with the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team comes at a time when the region’s cyberthreats are growing in volume and sophistication and targeting a widening array of sectors. According to Trend Micro’s Mid-Year Cybersecurity Report from 2023, its solutions detected and blocked more than 475 million cyberthreats in the region, including email threats, malicious URLs, and malware. In Saudi Arabia alone, 54 million threats were neutralized, including 190,000 Smart Home Network (SHN) events that targeted similar IoT technologies to those of Formula E racing teams.

“Many MEA countries grasp the potential benefits, but success demands that we adequately prepare for the risks posed by a rapidly expanding attack surface.” Chow noted. “The same blend of digital technologies and physical machinery used by the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team exists in the critical infrastructure of almost every society on our planet. Everything from telecoms to energy and utilities is susceptible and must be protected. In the world of racing, it's crucial to safeguard all critical infrastructure, because any threat to it can significantly hinder a Team’s ability to performance on the global stage of motorsport.. So, Trend Micro will continue to do its part – from the racetracks to the plants housing the vital machinery of our economies – to protect flesh-and-blood communities from digital threats.”