As iGaming Grows, So Must Security Awareness and Prevention
Published February 7, 2020 by Lee R
Protecting player data is another form of preventative protection that operators and all iGaming stakeholders need to stay aware of.
With gambling accepted as the leading gaming industry category in terms of popularity, there are unique needs for preventative security of information to go along with player protections that this industry necessitates.
The Market
The industry itself is not new: people tend to forget that the activity of gambling long predates the internet gaming components of iGaming per se, with gambling's traditional popularity providing the true basis for the lucrative returns for the online version, (a market predicted to reach $102.97 billion by 2025).
Market Leaders
The EU is the far and away leader in online gambling, with a rise in disposable income providing the likelihood of the Asia Pacific Digital Gaming market reaching +$241 billion by 2023.
The Trust Factor
For the iGaming market to grow at that scale, players will have to continue to trust gaming companies with their personal information.
Preserving Trust
Research shows the most pressing current issues which could erode trust in iGaming, and are submitted here with the implication that they should be addressed now at the most preventative level.
Weak Authentication
This includes so-called Weak Authentication--today's average gamer manages multiple accounts for multiple games, leading to passwords becoming repetitive or weaker in strength, which in either event can lead to hackers accessing player accounts at a relative “child's play” level of difficulty.
Research suggests the basic solution for the authentication security issue to be an integrated application of multi-factor authentication (MFA); password management; and firewalls.
Phishing
Another key issue is the increasingly common hack technique of phishing; which is increasingly common gaming hack technique. Phishing consists of the sending of fake emails which when opened by players are sued to steal personal information, funds or increasingly valuable character traits.
Research suggests (anti-fishing) education of players about not opening unrecognized emails, along with the use of risk-based authentication (RBA). RBAs detect unusual IPs or behaviors to block fake users from accessing accounts.
Child Identity Theft
Another threat listed by research is child identity theft, where children are preyed upon to more easily access either their details or the details of their parents. A this point, multiple options exist for operators to address the need to protect children from being preyed upon for identity theft through gaming accounts, such as software preventing those reporting under certain ages to complete registration.
Outlook
Preventatively addressing these and other leading security issues can empower operators to preserve the core product: a seamless gaming experience online which preserves the engagement popularized in society over generations of play.
