There have been a multitude of high-profile instances where athletes and sporting organisations would have benefited from the services GSI provides to mitigate against physical threats or maximise corporate opportunities.
Terrorist Attack on Sri Lanka Cricket Team
On 04 March 2009, the team bus of the Sri Lankan national cricket team was attacked by an outlawed militant group as it travelled to the third day of the second Test against Pakistan in Lahore. Six members of the team were injured whilst six policemen and two by-standers were killed during the attack.
Despite long-standing security risks posed by militants within Pakistan which had previously threatened and targeted the sport of cricket as well as the ignoring of specific warnings from intelligence services, the tour went ahead.
GSI's Protective Intelligence services include Risk Assessments for athletes competing in potentially unsafe territories to help mitigate against possible disruption or attack.
Cycling Team's I.T Systems Hacked
In July 2015, Team Sky told reporters that it believed its I.T systems had been hacked by an organisation or individual seeking to obtain performance data on Chris Froome to support allegations that he was doping. The information was understood to have been subsequently used by anonymous social media users who initiated an online campaign to discredit Froome and Team Sky.
GSI's Protective Intelligence services includes I.T / Cyber Vulnerability Assessments which help organisations protect vital information from competitors and criminals. GSI also offers industry leading Social Media Monitoring services to identify potential negative campaigns. GSI's Bespoke Investigations offering has been used by clients after a cyber attack or negative online campaign to identify the culprits before pursing legal proceedings.
Terrorist Attacks on the Stade de France
As part of a coordinated attack by Islamic militants focusing on the French capital on 13 November 2015, the intentional football friendly between Germany and France was targeted. The terrorists' aim was to detonate a bomb inside the stadium, thereby initiating a mass exit which would then be the subject of two further suicide bombings. Stadium security foiled the attempts of the first terrorist to enter, resulting in the explosions being conducted outside the stadium and a much reduced fatality count.
GSI's Protective Intelligence services includes Online Profile Threat Assessments (OPTA) for sports venues which identifies potential vulnerabilities in the online profile gaps in the security of a stadium or arena to safeguard against terrorist attack or other form of criminal disruption.
Sports Sponsorship Due Diligence
In 2009, the primary shirt sponsor of Manchester United faced an investigation in the US which had the potential to cost the team £14m in unpaid funds. The investigation followed allegations that AIG had paid excessive bonuses to executives with bail-out money which also resulted in the brand being tarnished globally. The issue was eventually resolved but raised the possibility of huge financial ramifications and negative PR for Manchester United.
GSI's Corporate Intelligence offering includes a Due Diligence service that safeguards clients against potentially damaging business relationships.
Plot to Kidnap Boxer's Family
In April 2016, Philipine President President Benigno Aquino III stated that terrorist group Abu Sayyaf had plotted a kidnap and ransom attack on Boxer Manny Pacquiao and members of his family for the purposes of securing funding and/or prisoner release via blackmail.
GSI's Protective Intelligence offering includes an Online Profile Threat Assessment (OPTA) for athletes and their families to mitigate against criminals and terrorists acquiring information that could be used to inform a kidnap and ransom operation or other such attack.