The cybersecurity concern in gaming is growing nearly as fast as the industry. In 2020, research shows that over 76 percent of cyberattacks were targeted at online gaming and gambling sites. Operators continue to face evolving challenges in keeping their customer’s personal and financial data out of the hands of cybercriminals. Here are some strategies that have proven effective in this fight:
Data Encryption
Players in online casinos and gaming sites generate and transfer a lot of data. While in transit from one server to another, such as during a financial transaction, this data is vulnerable to cybercriminals. Operators protect it through encryption.
Data encryption renders data in transit unreadable by converting it into a string of unintelligent code or characters. This way, if an unauthorized user intercepts it, they cannot read or use it. The industry’s most popular forms of data encryption systems include DES, AES, RSA, and 3DES, a block cipher that uses three independent 56-bit keys to encrypt data.
You can tell that a provider uses data encryption to protect consumer data through their SSL certificates, licenses, accreditations, and affiliations. Betway casino, for instance, is affiliated with the European Sports Security Association and accredited by eCOGRA, the international testing service.
Big Data
Big data predictive analytics can help online casinos and gaming providers detect and flag fraudulent login attempts. These systems can detect abnormal patterns that may indicate a cyber threat by analyzing large data sets and defining normal user behavior. They can flag these attempts and prompt the casino provider to initiate security protocols.
An example of abnormal patterns is when a gamer enters the wrong password multiple times. When this happens, big data systems identify the data produced as abnormal or unlike typical player behavior. They can, in turn, notify the provider to activate MFA protocols or shut the user from their account until they authenticate their login attempt.
Firewalls and Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS)
Firewalls and Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) monitor and block suspicious incoming activity. They create a barrier between your internal networks and incoming or outgoing traffic to keep suspicious or malicious attacks at bay.
This usually means that your firewall may block unauthorized access to your servers. If someone tries to access a gambling site like Betway but does not have the proper credentials, these tools block and report the attempt. But firewalls also block suspicious outgoing traffic. If someone authorized to be on the site attempts to connect to a malicious server, your firewall will block this, too.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and Biometric Security
Users must provide two or more verification details to access their accounts when a gaming site deploys multi-factor authentication protocols. This is usually a user password followed by a one-time code sent to the user’s phone or email. However, many providers also use biometric technology to add an extra layer of security. These require users to authenticate their accounts with biometrics like their fingerprint, face, or eye, making it significantly harder for cybercriminals to access user accounts.
Wrapping Up: Check Your Security Systems Regularly
Even with all these systems in place, you never know if your systems are vulnerable. Regular security audits can help you identify weak links in your networks and fix them before attackers find them. A penetration test works the same way, except it simulates a cyberattack and tells you how effective your security protocols are. Meanwhile, regular backups ensure you can restore your data quickly should you ever lose it to a data breach.