John Harbaugh Concerned About Tech Security Ahead of NFL Draft

Ravens coach John Harbaugh is worried about NFL teams' information being compromised during the virtual NFL draft.

While NFL teams are relying on more online communication during the coronavirus pandemic, Ravens coach John Harbaugh is concerned about his club's sensitive information being compromised. 

Harbaugh told reporters at a pre-draft news conference that he texted the Ravens' information technology team after hearing about Zoom and other online services being hacked.

"It's a big concern," Harbaugh said, per ESPN. "Hopefully we'll be OK. I really wouldn't want the opposing coaches to have our playbook or our draft meetings. That would be preferable if we can stay away from that."

Zoom has recently been subject to security lapses and "Zoombombing," where people are crashing public meetings with obscenities or racial slurs. Many people and companies are relying on Zoom or other services to work from home and stay connected during the pandemic.

NFL teams have also held meetings or shared playbooks online while conducting business during the sports shutdown. The league closed team facilities last month due to the pandemic and plans to host its upcoming draft virtually later this month. Officials from all 32 teams will conduct the draft from their homes, and select players will be invited to participate "live."

Teams' offseason conditioning programs usually start around this time of year, and the Ravens are looking at how to hold meetings or strength and conditioning sessions virtually for now.

"They know if they don't train and they come back out of shape, it's not going to be much fun for them in training camp," Harbaugh said. "Nothing could be more miserable than a Raven not being in shape in training camp. That's pretty much well-documented."

Analysis from Todd Karpovich of RavenCountry: The Ravens are not taking any chances with technological glitches. John Harbaugh is consistently working with the team's IT personnel to ensure there are no issues. Harbaugh also stays up-to-date on potential issues by reading the nation's financial news, which has prompted some of his concern.