Department of Homeland Security, NFL collaborate on Super Bowl security

The Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, traveled to Las Vegas, Nev., this week as part of a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) review of operations underway for Super Bowl LVIII, in conjunction with local and state law enforcement and the National Football League (NFL).

The effort represents the latest in a more than 20-year partnership for one of the biggest sporting events on earth. This year, more than 385 DHS personnel will be on scene alongside local law enforcement to maintain safety for the approximately 65,000 expected attendees. This year also marks a first for the NFL, as it will join the Secure Our World Cybersecurity Awareness Effort.

Secure Our World is a Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)-led campaign to encourage use of stronger passwords, multi-factor authentication, identification and reporting of phishing attacks, and updating software for greater security.

“The Department of Homeland Security, alongside our federal, state, and local partners, is working to ensure that the 65,000 people attending Super Bowl LVIII and the millions of people gathering together and enjoying the game across the country are all safe,” Mayorkas said. “There are no known, credible, specific threats to the Super Bowl or to Las Vegas at this time – but we are vigilant, and we are prepared.”

On the ground, federal efforts will be led by Federal Coordinator Karn Ransom, the U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge. Representatives of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and CISA will also be on hand.

As part of the combined efforts at the Super Bowl, CISA undertook physical and cybersecurity vulnerability assessments, the Office of Intelligence and Analysis worked with the FBI to assess the threat landscape and share intelligence ahead of the game, and the TSA will deploy a Federal AIr Marshal during the event, among other actions.

Human trafficking prevention is also a major focus of this Super Bowl, and DHS announced that it would partner with Lyft to identify potential trafficking and work with law enforcement agencies to educate the public on indicators of human trafficking and how to respond to them.