That’s exactly the point if you ask your couchmate at the ReliaQuest Bowl on Monday, “Wait, what’s Reliaquest?”
of cyber security The company has been around for 15 years, but CEO and founder Brian Murphy says it is already seeing increased exposure before Mississippi takes on Illinois. And the company isn’t the only cyber player currently using sports to extend its brand. Fortinet will take over his sponsorship of the PGA Tour’s Safeway Open in 2021, and Rapid7 will partner with him to patch his first jersey for the Boston Bruins in September. Acronis and Bitdefender are among the other companies spending on sports sponsorships.
Since 1978, of the Washington Post The Style section publishes an updated list of what’s coming in and out each new year. In 2023, with Bitcoin’s price dropping 65% in 2022 and the industry still reeling from the effects of the FTX implosion, ‘Crypto’ has unsurprisingly landed in the ‘Out’ column. A long cryptocurrency winter could see marketing spending cool and B2B firms such as security firms stepping in to fill the gap amid expectations of slower advertising growth across the economy next year. .
“Security is not an arbitrary expense,” Murphy says. “We’re not changing anything dramatically.”
Tech giants such as Google and Microsoft have been busy with cybersecurity acquisitions over the past two years, with Google’s $5.4 billion acquisition of Mandiant being the second largest acquisition ever.
Reliaquest also grew, spending $160 million to acquire Digital Shadows to expand its offerings. Headquartered in Tampa, Reliaquest partners with the NBA and does business with multiple teams across various sports. In collaboration with his 2021 Super Bowl Host Committee in Tampa, Outback received a call after Murphy’s steakhouse ended the naming rights deal with what was originally the Bowl of Fame.
“At the end of the day, it probably took about 18 minutes to make the decision,” Murphy said. The company reclaimed him for the remainder of his four-year contract.
While Reliaquest works with major airlines, banks and healthcare companies, we’ve also seen the unique challenges facing sports teams. For professional clubs, cybersecurity risks range from customer data captured at point-of-sale devices and stadiums, to protecting players’ personal information, to monitoring social media interactions with brands.
NASCAR has an even number worked directly Work with the FBI to minimize the risk of cyber breaches. Ekaterina Carayanis, Director of Cybersecurity and Risk Management, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, March warned Only 1% of teams and leagues have good practices in place.
Ransomware attacks continue to pose a threat, with Manchester United among them. victim in recent years.
“I think people have become a little numb because they’re so used to having so much going on,” Murphy said. There are many opportunities.”
Ultimately, sports sponsorships offer a unique opportunity to gain name recognition while being in front of potential customers and potential employees (cryptocurrency startups also take advantage of this). .
“I think kids will listen and pay more attention,” Murphy said. “You’re not going to walk around dressed as a Cyberguy, are you?”
