The 1996 Atlanta Olympics, the 2008 Sri Lanka Marathon, and most recently, the 2013 Boston Marathon. What once might have been isolated incidents has now become a trend, as major sporting events become go-to targets for terrorist organizations.
With constant attention via the 24/7 news cycle and real-time updates from attendees via Facebook and Twitter, modern sporting events, from the World Cup and the Olympics to the World Series and the Super Bowl, exist on a global stage. Event security professionals already face a substantial task to ensure a safe environment for thousands of onlookers, but they now face the possibility of minor incidents being instantaneously broadcast around the world, creating little room for error. While the threat of an attack can never be eliminated outright, much can be done in terms of mitigation.