The Portland Timbers expand from data protection to cybersecurity with Acronis

As part of the Acronis TeamUp Program, the Portland Timbers remain committed to strengthening their business resilience.  

This year, the partnership enters a new phase as the club builds on its Microsoft 365 backup foundation and adds advanced cybersecurity to protect the systems, email environments, collaboration apps and endpoints that support business and matchday operations. What began as an effort to modernize Microsoft 365 backup has evolved into a full cyber protection strategy. This announcement marks the Portland Timbers’ continuation of a trusted partnership with Acronis and an advancement in how the club secures its digital environments.  

The Portland Timbers use Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud, a unified cyber protection platform that brings Microsoft 365 backup, on‑premises server protection and disaster recovery together in one integrated solution to simplify operations and strengthen business continuity.  

However, effective cyber resilience requires more than data protection alone. It is not only about preventing cyberattacks but also about recovering quickly and minimizing downtime. Preventative measures reduce exposure, but teams must be prepared to respond, contain and restore operations when a threat gets through.  

For the Portland Timbers, this expansion goes beyond backup and recovery to incorporate cybersecurity capabilities that strengthen defense across the environment. Acronis EDR, Acronis RMM and Acronis Email Security help identify threats early, close vulnerabilities and block risky email before it reaches users.  

According to Robert Rice, VP of IT for the Portland Timbers, “Acronis has been a trusted platform for our backup and disaster recovery strategy for years. Expanding into EDR and RMM allows us to consolidate critical security and management capabilities into a single, integrated platform, which is exactly where we want to be as an organization.”

With a strong data‑protection foundation in place, the club is now strengthening cybersecurity across its environment through three integrated solutions: Acronis RMM, Acronis EDR and Acronis Email Security. Together, they reduce risk, shorten response times and provide unified visibility across endpoints and communication systems.  

Acronis RMM provides centralized, AI‑powered oversight of all endpoints, enabling faster detection and automated remediation. With capabilities such as AI‑assisted scripting, anomaly‑based monitoring, vulnerability assessments, secure remote access and fail‑safe patching, the IT team can streamline device management while improving security posture across the organization.  

To address fast‑moving threats, the Portland Timbers deploy Acronis EDR. Built for MSP operations, Acronis EDR uses AI‑guided attack analysis, automatic event correlation and single‑click remediation and rollback. The integration with backup ensures that even if an attack occurs, affected endpoints can be restored quickly — minimizing impact on workflows, business systems and matchday operations.  

Since email remains one of the most common attack vectors, the Portland Timbers will strengthen their protection with Acronis Email Security. The solution applies AI‑powered phishing detection, URL reputation checks, advanced image recognition, recursive file and URL unpacking and behavioral analysis to block threats before they reach inboxes. This helps protect the organization from phishing, spoofing, business email compromise, malware, zero‑day threats and APT‑style attacks.

This expanded investment reflects shared values across the partnership. As Acronis Sports Partnership Manager Michael Zamora explains, “The Portland Timbers are more than a football club — they’re an iconic brand built on legacy, passion and a deep connection to their community. That’s why we’re excited to renew our partnership. At Acronis, we believe winners partner with winners, and this renewal reflects our shared commitment to excellence. We’re proud to support a club that means so much to its city and its supporters, both on and off the pitch.” 

Professional sports organizations operate in complex digital ecosystems that balance high‑traffic matchdays, hybrid work, multiple partners and always‑on communication. In this environment, reducing tool sprawl and consolidating operations under a single platform significantly improves efficiency.  

By adopting Acronis cybersecurity solutions, the Portland Timbers eliminate redundant tools, simplify technician workflows and gain faster visibility into threats across endpoints, email and Microsoft 365. This unified, AI‑enhanced approach allows the club to respond more quickly, reduce risk and strengthen cyber‑insurance readiness — all within the same solution already managing backup and recovery.  

Integrated tools such as Acronis EDR enable AI‑guided detection and automated response, mapping attack activity across the organization’s most targeted surfaces. This expansion enhances agility and strengthens overall resilience.  

The Portland Timbers’ continued partnership with Acronis reflects a shared vision for modern cyber resilience — one built on consolidation, intelligence and integrated protection. With unified Microsoft 365 backup and disaster recovery already in place, and new cybersecurity capabilities joining the environment, the club is positioned to accelerate response, streamline operations and stay protected against a rapidly evolving threat landscape.  

As the Portland Timbers look toward future seasons, this expanded partnership ensures the visibility, reliability and agility needed to protect every part of the organization — from stadium operations to competitive performance. 

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