When tens of thousands of fans pack into a stadium for an NFL game, the spectacle looks seamless.
Ticketing works, broadcasts run on time, and the digital infrastructure hums along.
But behind the scenes, one wrong click or overlooked vulnerability could cascade into chaos – compromising data or even putting fans at risk.
Keeping the NFL’s international series running smoothly is the job of Kam Karaji, a former London police commander turned NFL cybersecurity and operational resilience lead, who navigates the complex intersection of technology, security, and live-event logistics.
Karaji’s career trajectory has been somewhat unconventional.
In policing, he spent 14 years on the frontline and in intelligence operations, including counterterrorism initiatives such as London’s “Ring of Steel”, where he sifted through thousands of logs and alerts to detect potential threats.
His fascination with data and technical systems eventually drew him into corporate security, building a cybersecurity operations centre from scratch – despite initially having no formal cyber qualifications.
“For me, it started almost by accident. I landed a role within the head of security for National Grid in the UK, mostly focused on physical security.
“Then, the US branch of the company proposed opening a cyber security operations centre in Warwick and asked if I could help set it up. I’d never done anything like that before – no formal cyber qualifications, just experience in intelligence and operations – but I said yes.
“That’s when my whole cyber world began, and I realised that the skills I’d honed in policing could translate into this new, technical arena.”
Today, he applies that expertise to the NFL’s international games, which this year stretch across five countries – the UK, Ireland, Germany, Spain and Brazil.
Each event outside the United States requires months of planning, covering ticketing, fan safety, broadcasting, and cybersecurity.
The stakes are high: errors can be costly financially, reputationally, and even physically.
Karaji’s job is to ensure the organisation remains resilient and operationally sound, regardless of what the day throws at him.
A High-Stakes Operational Arena
The international games offer a unique laboratory for technology deployment and risk management.
While sensors on helmets, real-time analytics, and AI-powered tools track player performance and assist in broadcasting, Karaji’s concern lies elsewhere.
He is focused on the invisible infrastructure – ticketing systems, cybersecurity, and operational processes that allow these events to run safely.
“It’s not just about tech for tech’s sake,” he explains. “People are often an afterthought. We rush to get the shiniest technology, to be competitive, but we rarely consider the human side. If people aren’t part of the equation, the tech will fail, or worse, create new risks.”
A vivid example came from live sports analytics.
It was discovered that during games sensitive data was accessible externally, enabling third parties, including betting companies, to exploit it.
The solution involved rapid intervention: firewalls were applied, access was restricted, and the NFL developed its own controlled AI model to handle analytics safely.
“AI needs a pilot,” he says. “You can’t just deploy it; it needs humans to guide it. Remove the humans, and you remove the guardrails.”
AI and the Necessity of Human Oversight
His approach in the NFL is analogous.
Technology is a tool, not a substitute for judgement. Failures in oversight can create cascading operational or ethical risks – from ticketing errors to fan safety incidents.
“Imagine 60,000 fans outside a stadium, all demographics, including people with disabilities. One system error or overlooked vulnerability can jeopardise safety. Human oversight is essential,” Karaji emphasises.
One recurring scenario Karaji considers is a hacked stadium fire alarm.
If triggered maliciously, doors could open automatically, causing a mass surge toward exits – a real danger to fan safety.
To prevent this, tabletop exercises are conducted with stakeholders to stress-test protocols and review emergency procedures.
Even with planning, unexpected events happen.
At a recent London game, 18,000 fans were temporarily unable to scan tickets due to a system glitch minutes before kick-off.
The incident illustrated a critical principle – technology alone can be insufficient.
Lessons Beyond the Stadium
Karaji’s work demonstrates a broader lesson for organisations deploying digital systems: processes must be designed with human behaviour and oversight in mind.
Technology without people is brittle, prone to failure, and ethically vulnerable.
The challenge is universal: organisations adopting AI or digital tools face the same tension between rapid innovation and operational risk.
Leaders must focus on people, embedding human insight into workflows, processes, and system governance.
Technology can accelerate decisions, analyse vast data, and optimise operations – but without human oversight, it can amplify errors, ethical misjudgements, and unintended consequences.
Karaji stresses that digital transformation succeeds only when human intuition, operational experience, and ethical judgement are considered as critical components.
Rushing to deploy the latest AI or data analytics platform without integrating human oversight, he warns, is a recipe for mistakes, missed opportunities, and reputational damage.
Managing Pace in a Rapidly Changing Landscape
Rapid adoption of AI is inevitable, Karaji says, but speed must be tempered with structure.
Gate reviews, security assessments, and educational initiatives can ensure that adoption remains responsible. “Let the pace be that delivery, absolutely… but design it so we’ve got reviews in the middle. Speak to security, understand risks, and review objectives,” he says.
AI is a powerful amplifier of human intention, not a replacement for judgement.
Karaji warns that mismanaged technology can produce not just operational failures but ethical breaches.
Algorithms designed to maximise efficiency or revenue can make decisions that harm individuals or society if humans are absent from the loop.
Leaders must balance innovation with accountability, ensuring that technological progress aligns with operational, ethical, and safety standards.
“AI can do a lot quicker, but it’s also dangerous if humans aren’t involved,” he notes. Leaders, he argues, must act as pilots, ensuring technology augments rather than replaces human judgement.
Humans Remain the Ultimate Technology
The smooth operation of the NFL’s games illustrate a universal truth: technology, no matter how sophisticated, cannot operate effectively without human oversight.
AI, analytics, and automated systems are potent tools, but they require human judgement, ethical awareness, and operational insight to function safely and effectively.
“Without people, we cannot deploy any technology, AI or secure systems efficiently. We also cannot protect people efficiently,” Karaji says.
In the rush to innovate and automate, organisations would do well to remember that human judgement remains the most important technology of all.
For those managing high-stakes and high-visibility operations, success often depends not on the latest algorithm or tool – but on the people ensuring that every system, process and contingency is accounted for.
