Premier League club almost lost £1m after transfer deal targeted by hackers, cybersecurity report says

Experts warn sports organisations are facing increased pressure from criminals online

The 'Cyber Threat to Sports Organisations' report has warned the sports sector needs to improve its security against cybercriminals (Rex)

Professional sports organisations have been urged to tighten their cybersecurity after hackers nearly succeeded in stealing around £1m from a Premier League club.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said the email address of a Premier League club's managing director had been hacked during a transfer negotiation and only intervention from the bank prevented the club losing a huge sum of money.

The incident was one of several examples highlighted in the Cyber Threat to Sports Organisations report, which shows how sport needs to improve its security as it faces increased pressure from cybercriminals.