Elevate Your Events, Secure Your Future

Introduction

The event management industry is rapidly growing, projected to reach $1.7 trillion by 2029, driven by demand for live experiences, advancements in event technology, and the rise of virtual and hybrid events. While this transformation enhances engagement and experiences, it also introduces significant cybersecurity risks, making data security a priority for organizers.

Background

Ticketmaster, a global leader in event ticketing, manages millions of transactions annually and relies heavily on cloud-based services. This reliance enhances efficiency but increases vulnerability to cyber threats targeting sensitive customer data.

Attack

On March 5, 2024, Ticketmaster detected a breach that began on February 28th.
Attackers exploited a zero-day vulnerability in their 3rd party cloud payment gateway.
Using advanced malware, attackers exfiltrated encrypted data such as credit card details and personal data to command-and-control servers, avoiding detection for a week.
Using escalating privileges techniques, they were able to move across Ticketmaster’s cloud environment, targeting other connect systems.

Impact

Immediate costs exceeded $150 million (forensics, legal fees, remediation).
$300 million in lost revenue due to consumer distrust and canceled events.
Customer trust eroded, leading to lawsuits, regulatory fines, and significant downtime in ticketing systems, disrupting sales and damaging reputation.

Analysis

The breach underscores the evolving nature of cyber threats and the exploitation of supply chain vulnerabilities.
Traditional cybersecurity methods are insufficient for the dynamic event industry.
A proactive, holistic strategy is needed to mitigate risks and future-proof operations.

Pvotal's Infrastream Solution

Unwavering Security for Sensitive Data

Zero-trust model and Infrastructure as Managed Code (IaC) eliminate human-managed vulnerabilities.
Strict authentication safeguards attendee information, ticketing processes, and cloud operations.
Builds trust through secure, seamless attendee experiences.

Accelerated Development for Event Needs

Internal Developer Platform (IDP) simplifies development and deployment workflows.
Enables rapid feature rollouts for improved attendee engagement, ticketing, and on-site interactions.
Supports integration of cutting-edge technologies without compromising security or performance.

Unified Platform for Event Operations

Simplify your ecosystem by reducing third-party vendors, lowering costs and security risks.
Resilient event-sourcing engine ensures rapid recovery and continuous uptime, even during high-demand periods.

Conclusion

The Ticketmaster data breach demonstrates the growing sophistication of cyberattacks and the vulnerabilities of event management companies handling sensitive attendee data. With AI-powered attacks on the rise and reliance on digital platforms, traditional security measures are no longer enough. Pvotal’s Infrastream provides a unified, secure platform to streamline operations, strengthen security, and ensure rapid recovery, enabling event companies to deliver flawless, secure experiences while future-proofing their operations.