Protecting the digital future of Welsh football

Socura is proud to support the Football Association of Wales as its Official Cyber Security Partner, helping protect the technology, data and people behind the modern game.

Football is played on a pitch, but increasingly, much of what happens around the game depends on technology.

Players and coaches rely on digital platforms. Clubs manage registrations and administration online. Referees, volunteers and supporters access connected services, while organisations like the Football Association of Wales (FAW) manage significant amounts of data behind the scenes.

As the game becomes more connected, protecting the systems that support it becomes increasingly important.

That is why Socura is proud to be working with the FAW as its Official Cyber Security Partner.

The three-year partnership will see Socura provide a comprehensive range of cyber security services to the FAW, while also working with the organisation to promote better cyber resilience across the wider football community.

Protecting a connected football community

The scale of the FAW's digital footprint gives some idea of what that responsibility involves.

The organisation sits at the centre of a football community spanning 822 affiliated clubs and 120,000 playing participants, alongside hundreds of thousands of supporters. Its digital services connect players, coaches, referees, clubs and fans across the game.

This makes cyber security about more than protecting a single organisation.

It means helping to protect a wider ecosystem of people, systems and data that increasingly depends on digital services to keep football moving.

For Socura, that means providing the specialist security expertise and around-the-clock support needed to help the FAW manage that responsibility.

A comprehensive approach to cyber security

As part of the partnership, Socura will provide the FAW with a broad range of managed cyber security services.

This includes 24/7 Security Operations Centre monitoring, 365 days a year, Managed Detection and Response, penetration testing, phishing simulation campaigns, security awareness training, Microsoft 365 backup, incident response and strategic cyber advisory services.

Together, these services are designed to provide protection across different parts of the FAW's security environment - from identifying and responding to suspicious activity through to testing defences, strengthening security awareness and providing support when incidents occur.

The aim is straightforward: to give the FAW the security expertise and support it needs as its digital operations continue to develop.

Building cyber resilience beyond the FAW

An important part of the partnership extends beyond the FAW's own systems.

Socura will also work alongside the FAW on digital content, educational initiatives and collaborative campaigns designed to promote cyber security best practice across clubs, volunteers and the wider football community.

That's an important part of building resilience.

Cyber security isn't solely an IT issue. A phishing email can reach a club administrator just as easily as a senior executive, while a compromised account can potentially create problems that extend beyond the individual user.

Helping people understand those risks is therefore just as important as having the right technology in place.

For Socura, this makes the partnership about more than delivering security services. It's also an opportunity to share knowledge and help strengthen cyber security awareness across Welsh football.

Supporting a new chapter for Welsh football

The partnership comes at an important time for the game in Wales.

The Cymru Women's National Team is continuing its qualification campaign for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup, preparations are underway for UEFA EURO 2028, which will begin in Wales, and the expanded 16-team Novira Cymru Premier marks another new chapter for the domestic game.

At the same time, the FAW is continuing to invest in its digital capabilities.

Technology will play an increasingly important role in supporting that growth. The challenge is making sure the security supporting it keeps pace.

As Andrew Kays, our CEO at Socura, explains:

“Technology now underpins almost every aspect of the modern game. It connects supporters, enables competitions, supports clubs and helps develop players. Protecting those digital services has become fundamental to the future of football.”

That is ultimately what this partnership is about - helping ensure that the technology behind Welsh football is secure enough to support where the game is going next.

A partnership with a Welsh connection

There is also something particularly fitting about the partnership itself.

Both Socura and the FAW are Welsh organisations with ambitions that extend well beyond Wales, and both represent Wales on an international stage in very different ways.

For Socura, being chosen as the FAW's Official Cyber Security Partner is an opportunity to support an organisation at the heart of Welsh life while helping protect the digital infrastructure behind its continued growth.

Noel Mooney, CEO of the FAW, said:

“Football today depends on technology more than ever before. From supporting grassroots clubs and volunteers to delivering international fixtures and engaging supporters across Wales and beyond, secure digital services are essential to everything we do.”

Protecting what comes next

Cyber security rarely gets the attention of a goal, a trophy or a major tournament.

And that's probably how it should be.

When security works properly, people can concentrate on what they are there to do - whether that's playing, coaching, running a club, supporting a team or representing Wales on the international stage.

Behind all of that sits an increasingly connected digital infrastructure that needs to be protected.

Socura is proud to play a part in doing exactly that.

We look forward to working with the FAW over the next three years to help protect the people, systems and data behind Welsh football.