Best Online Casino Practices Against Cybercrime

The significance of cybersecurity in the online gambling sphere

Thanks to the huge amounts of data and money that go through online casinos every day, they have become one of the primary targets for hackers. Because of this, the future of the online casino industry is in the hands of cybersecurity.

To make things worse for the casinos, it only takes one wrong step in the domain of security to compromise their business. Today we are going to look into the potential cybersecurity risks that online casinos face every day.

What is cybersecurity

Cybersecurity represents the process in which certain technologies, controls, and processes are being applied to protect data, networks, and programs from inside or outside threats. It is also referred to as electronic information security or information technology security.

Cybersecurity is a wide approach that can be divided into several security categories such as application, information or data, network, cloud, infrastructure, and operational security. Disaster recovery and education of the end-users are also two of the elements that go into cybersecurity.

Online gambling cybersecurity risks

Every online industry is prone to cybersecurity risks, and the casino industry is no exception. Online casinos are under constant threat from hackers who aim to take advantage of vulnerabilities and loopholes.

The need for communication networks of online casinos gives cybercriminals room for exploitation. These exploits can come in the form of:

DDoS and ransomware attacks
Scraping
SQL injections
Account takeovers

DDoS and ransomware attacks

DDoS attacks are becoming one of the favourite tools for hackers. Along with ransomware attacks, these can completely ruin an online casino. If the attack does what it is meant to, namely to system failure, it will ruin the casino’s reputation along with creating financial harm to both the casino and its customers.

DDoS and ransomware attacks not only make the customers lose confidence in the casino that is under attack, they often lose confidence in the whole online casino industry.

Scraping

Almost all operations of online casinos are web-based and for this reason, they are ideal candidates for hackers who are good at web scraping. Web scraping is the term used for the use of data extracting software programs.

Hackers often use bots to capture as much information from the casino site as possible. Web scraping is often followed by other illegal activities like fraud, phishing, and identity theft.

SQL Injection

One of the ways hackers attack online casinos is by inserting infected Structured Query Language also known as SQL injection. These attacks result in hackers taking over the database and modifying or deleting data how they please.

This results in compromised application security measures meaning hackers can then go around checkpoints and validation. The result is hackers gaining access to personal data, intellectual property, information about customers, and even gaming secrets.

Account takeovers

Account takeovers or ATO happens when attackers obtain personal information about the players and use them to log into player accounts.

When the attacker gains access to the target account he then goes forward to carry out a range of activities that have the purpose of creating personal gain for the attacker. These activities include changing account details, making online purchases, withdrawing funds, and using the information from the account to access other sites.

How the online gambling industry combats cyber threats

Encryption

Gambling sites must be dedicated to preventing security threats like the ones we mentioned above. And to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals, online casinos have to be in touch with the latest technological advancements

Modern online casinos use SSL (Secure Socket Layer) protocol that allows them to encrypt all communication that happens between the site and the user. This way, even if the hackers somehow gain access to the information it is encrypted, meaning they will just see a list of symbols, numbers, or digits that don’t make any sense to them.

License

While the gaming license is not in itself a tool to combat cyber threats, to acquire it online casinos must have the latest security protocols set in motion.

Gambling jurisdictions only issue licenses to casinos that hold up to the highest security standards of the industry. And achieving these standards doesn’t come cheap, so it is in the best interest of the casino not to fall behind and get the license revoked.

Reliable gaming software

To offer the best possible gaming experience to gamblers, casinos partner with third-party businesses like software providers. To keep the hackers away and ensure they provide the best possible games online casinos choose only the providers that comply with the highest industry standards.

A good example of this practice is the Parimatch casino. They offer safe games from the best providers both on their website and on their andar bahar real cash app.

Proven payment gateway systems

When it comes to preventing financial fraud, the best online casinos have PCI DSS security certificates acquired. This means that the gateway system used by the casino complies with the highest standards of the bankcard industry.

To make online payments the most secure possible, online casinos also establish partnerships with international payment brands like Mastercard, Visa, and Paypal.

Conclusion

Cyber threats are very real in the online casino industry, and online casinos are doing everything in their power to keep the bad guys away. When playing on an online casino you should also do your part, and protect your personal information to the best of your ability. Only this way will you have the highest possible protection from cyber threats.

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