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Posts Tagged ‘security’

Hackers Make Things Challenging for Gaming Companies

Monday, November 8th, 2010

In the world of gambling three are some scammers. It is just a fact that some people try to get whatever they can, whenever they can- whether or not it is owed to them. This is the reason why any good casino you go into is going to have a good security system. Just walk in and you are going to see the cameras pointed at almost every angle in the casino. They are above the gaming tables, at the door, at the bathrooms, and everywhere else you can look. Gaming operators work to build security systems that are as tight as they possibly can be made because they know that they have to shore up their own rules regarding protecting themselves and their revenues. It is a big problem for a lot of companies and a huge expense. They know that it is necessary though. On top of a good surveillance system, the casino most likely also has a hefty security team to watch and take care of any problems. One of the arguments of anti-gambling activists is that allowing gambling to be legalized will bring in more crime. It is a fact that casinos have put millions into their security plans over the years, so they could have some validity to their points. It is just a fact that when there is a large sum of money in one place, people are going to try to think of ways to steal it.

Another problem that gambling companies have to deal with now is the change in online gambling. Because as a market it is growing so tremendously, the online market is seeing its own share of scammers. They are in the form of hackers, of course. Hackers are people who are particularly adept at the internet and cracking through firewalls and security protocols that online websites use. There are tools to avert them, but just as quickly as those tools are being created, they are finding ways around them. It is a game of cat and mouse, and so far developers are a step ahead, but that could change at any time in the market.

FBI Forming Division to Focus on Cybercrime

Friday, October 29th, 2010

If you have every wondered about the world of online gambling and where it is going, then look to the biggest casinos out there. If you watch their progression over the years you are going to notice how much change they have brought to their own websites. For example, a decade ago you could find a few good online casinos but few boasted top notch security. In fact, they most likely had some log-in capabilities but probably didn’t have a real money option. The reason was because internet security was not yet formulated anywhere near what it is at today. Since technology took off so in the market, it has pushed online companies to greater security options. Now you would be hard pressed to find a casino that doesn’t use hefty encryption protocols and SSL certificates that are reliable. The creation of a new type of online crime called “internet identity theft” has pushed technology developers to find new ways of pushing back at thieves. Plus casinos know that their customers are going to be sharing important and sensitive information. If they aren’t offering the best security protocols, the customers could move on to a better website. For this reason, gaming casinos put millions of dollars into building up their security systems. They know that their good customer service is dependent on it.

There are still some problems though. The FBI is working hard to stop criminals. Recently a group of hackers were taken down by the government’s internet fraud division. Interestingly enough, the group was mainly comprised of webmasters who were using their knowledge to steal information from websites that didn’t have the proper security enhancements. The move was a huge one in the market and is indicative of where the casino world is moving. Governments are pushing for stronger rules regarding safety and they are investigating illegal operations. Some governments have even created specific divisions that are set on thwarting illegal rings. The biggest problem with them is that they open the doors to not only illegal activities within the states, but also offshore illegal activities. This is a problem that the government has, but it is using its own technological advances to hinder hackers.

Be Cautious with Card Counting at the Blackjack Table

Sunday, October 24th, 2010

If you are a fan of blackjack then no doubt you have heard about the basic strategy chart. It is one of the easiest ways of learning the game. The basic strategy chart is where every new player should start…it gives you a great way of knowing what moves to make and when. The chart looks at the cards you have and the up-card the dealer has and then tells you what to do. The entire thing is based on math so you can be sure that most likely what it tells you to do is that the most beneficial move is. Once you get used to the basic strategy of using the chart, then you may want to test out some card counting skills. Card counting of course is a way of watching what cards are put on the table and keeping track mathematically of what cards are most likely still in the deck. You can manage your bets according to what your chances of winning are, as opposed to losing. For example, if you know the deck has a lot of large-valued cards but you have a total value of 17 in your hand, then you know to stand is the best move. On the other hand if you have a value of ten in your hand and you know there are still a good range of smaller-valued cards in the deck, then you can hit to inch closer to twenty-one.

Overall card counting is one of the best tools to use when it comes to playing blackjack. You have to be careful though. No casino wants you to win and if card counting is giving you an extra chance at winning they aren’t going to like it. Remember that casinos have monitoring systems involved and they are pointed directly at gamers’ faces. If they get wind of your counting, they very well could put you out of the game and out of the casino. You want to use the tool but not be so obvious about it that you get yourself in trouble or lose out on a winning hand. Make sure to watch yourself, but then have fun learning to win at blackjack.

NeoGames Signs with McAfee

Tuesday, October 19th, 2010

If you wager online you most likely are going to at one point or another be concerned with online security. Let’s face it—when you open up an account online you are sharing important information. If it falls into the wrong hands, you can be in serious problems with identity theft and bank accounts. The good news though is that online casinos are well aware of the issues and trying hard to protect their customers. As time goes by they continue to build newer and more secure options to online gambling. For example, now gamers at Scratch2Cash.com and Hopa.com can both rest a little easier. The websites are both operated by NeoGames and now the company just announced a security deal with security company McAfee. This is a great deal because it shores up security protocols for gamers playing at either website. They won’t have to worry about sharing their funding accounts or personal information with anyone at the website.

The uniqueness of this joint venture is that it is one of the first of its kind between a gaming company and a security website. McAfee announced that this is the first part of its growing commitment to building safe environments for all of its partners and their end-users when it comes to wagering or offering information online. The winning argument for NeoGames is that it now can include the top-notch security protocols in its Terms of Service and allow for even better gambling fun for gamers. This opens the door for more secure players and players who are going to be more readily willing to share their information and sign up at the website. Gamers these days are sophisticated and that means that they know full well what to look for when it comes to wagering companies. They aren’t iffy any longer on what they need if they are going to be open with their personal information. Be sure to check out websites like the ones operated by NeoGames—these are the ones that are moving with the times and creating better environments of security for their players. Visit NeoGames’ websites for not only great gaming but also for security at its finest.

William Hill Joins Forces with iOvation

Thursday, October 14th, 2010

One of the big concerns with online gambling companies now is security. Everyone who works online knows how important it is to maintain online security. Customers of online casinos are going to be sharing very personal information. They have to share their name, address, funding account and telephone number. If this information falls into the wrong hands, they can be victims of theft—monetary or identity. Remember that online transactions are still for the most part anonymous. Someone can easily set up an account, get a host, and market the “company”. Then they also can disappear when the time to deliver to the customer comes about. Plus with the possibilities today of setting up offshore companies, it is more and more difficult for police to track down criminals. They can weave a long web of online protection for themselves, leaving any customers in their wake. Of course it is getting better—now that online casinos have third-party regulators it is more difficult for fraudulent companies to come into the mix.

William Hill is a huge company in the online gambling world. It just announced that it will be working with Iovation for its online protection. Iovation is a company that provides online protection from abuse and fraud for companies. Their product is called “Iovation Reputation Manager 360” and it is a huge asset to companies wanting protection against fraud for their customer base. Remember that online gambling is competitive and that means that it is important to offer the best in gaming and security right off the bat. William Hill knows this and is pushing for the best gaming and protection right away. If you are in the market for a safe and secure online gambling experience, then test out William Hill. The company has a wide variety of betting options and games to enjoy and you know that your information is safe. They are consistently upgrading their security and that means that you are not going to have problems with any of their applications. Online security should be your priority next to games. Test out William Hill and see how online security is done well.

Rivers Casino Facing Overtime Lawsuit

Wednesday, October 13th, 2010

Here it goes again…more problems with gambling. As everyone knows the gambling issue has two positions. On one side are legislators who love the idea of having a huge revenue stream to enjoy. They are aware of the tax revenue dollars available with gaming and want a part of it. They also believe that gambling will inevitably bring with it jobs for the various markets that need it. On the other hand though is an equally strong argument against bringing gambling into the economy. Their main position is that gambling will inevitably bring in crime, corruption, legal issues and addictions. The interesting thing is that as the market slowly moves towards legalization and regulation of online gambling, both sides are right. There are huge revenues to be had with gambling legalized, but there also is a social cost to pay for the money. Now Pennsylvania is seeing the issue first hand.

It seems that Rivers Casino in Pennsylvania is now named in a lawsuit regarding security a guard and overtime. She filed a suit claiming the casino never paid her out for the overtime she worked on the schedule agreed upon. She isn’t the only one named in the lawsuit, she is just representing herself and a group of other guards who work at the casino. Their main complaint is that prior to the installation of time clocks, their overtime hours were not kept properly. So far this lawsuit is working itself up to the class action lawsuit quickly. They need thirty security guards to join in on the issue to elevate its level. Right now the Rivers Casino is waiting for action. It is one of the biggest casinos in Pennsylvania right now. Its numbers are huge because of all the games it has to offer and its cross marketing to neighboring states. It is not only bringing in customers from its own home state, but also from new Jersey. So far the casino is over performing but only time will tell how this lawsuit comes out. Most likely there will be a settlement out of court that allows all parties to benefit, but also allows the casino to continue operations as normal without a lapse in revenue.

VeriSign Offers Top Notch Security

Saturday, October 9th, 2010

In the world of online gambling there are a lot of security issues. When you sign up at a casino you are sharing a lot of personal information that could fall into the wrong hands if the website isn’t the utmost in careful. A few years ago it was easier to bet burned by an online casino because of the lax rules regarding protocols. The online world is anonymous for those how know how to use it and those who don’t are at a disadvantage. This is why protocols for security have grown so much in the past few years. Technology has given operators much better tools to use for security. No longer are there many breaches of security online. There are a few instances here and there, but for the most part they can be traced back to a specific problem with the casino’s programming software. There are two main companies that handle online security today: VeriSign and Thawte. Thawte in face is owned by VeriSign but acts as an individual company.

This is a sign of how valuable VeriSign is to the gaming market—it is the sole provider of security online for casinos. Obviously the company is doing a great job with security. Because it is the only company on the market it has an obvious advantage. They are able to create products that are a direct result of what the gaming community wants. They can do a wide range of market research, see what is needed and then answer it immediately. The company has enough experience under its belt to modify all protocols as the market changes. There are always thieves working to overcome online security, but VeriSign is advanced enough to overcome and keep on building programs that shore up any security holes. There is a reason why the company is a leader in the market and has a long list of users. Expect the company to continue to develop with technology and keep on making more and more strides in the market. Their business model is relevant right now because more casino companies are entering the market on a monthly basis and VeriSign is answering their security needs.

Internet Gaming Getting Safer

Friday, October 8th, 2010

If you have ever worried about the security of an online casino, then you are not alone. A lot of people have been scammed on the internet. Let’s face it, by far the online world is anonymous. People can set up websites out of the country, get them up and running, solicit customers and then disappear all within a matter of weeks. If the company is set up overseas, it is almost impossible to track it if something goes wrong. In the earlier days of the internet this wasn’t uncommon. Scammers decided to use the internet for their own personal gain and quickly made a big haul at other people’s expense and then disappeared. The internet world was still young, but so was the investigation of internet business so things weren’t pretty. If people were scammed, there were few options to finding the culprits much less stopping them.

The good news though is that few casinos online today want to take the risk. If they go through the trouble of setting up a website, loading games and working with an internet interface processor, they want to recoup the money and then some. Sure they could scam people and then disappear with a few thousand dollars, but why do that when they could provide an actual service and make millions every month? It’s a no-brainer. Online operators are well aware of how lucrative online gaming is and how it is projected to grow in coming months—especially as more states are looking at the rules for gambling. They know that there soon may be another few million people who want to wager their money and casinos want to be ready to take advantage of it. If you have ever had a hesitation to getting online to wager, then consider the many choices now. Do some research on them, make sure they have a third-party certification, but then rest assured that most likely if they have secure servers and over 500,000 members, they should be legitimate. This can considerably increase your gambling fun if you find a great online casino to participate in. Think about being able to wager from the privacy of your own home—you can’t beat that convenience.

Online Security Getting Better

Tuesday, September 28th, 2010

If you have ever wondered about online security, know that in today’s world it’s getting harder and harder to scam people. When the internet first began no one knew where it would go. People purchased things with little knowledge about “SSL” or “encryption” or “security.” They didn’t yet know that you could lose everything in a bank account without protection. Now gaming companies are wise to tactics used by thieves and are moving to protect their gamers. In the world of online casinos there are two companies that secure information: VeriSign and Thawte. Thawte is a division of VeriSign but it stands alone in business model. The company works to provide SSL certificates to websites. An SSL certificate is a specific code that web servers employ. It protects any information that is shared via that server. This is how information is protected from hackers as it travels from one online location to another—say a customer’s computer to the gaming website’s depositing account. So far Thawte has handed out about 945,000 certificates and code signing certificates in over two-hundred different countries. The company is focused on staying ahead of the evolving security issues that plague the internet and its users. Overall it has done a great job but the operators know full well that their mission is never going to be over.

The world of technology is moving quickly. It’s a lot like organized crime was in the 20s. As police departments became aware of thieves and created ways to stop them, they created more ways to steal. The internet is going through the same type of growth right now. It is developing at a lightning-fast rate and that means from both sides. On one side you have scammers who steal information and on the other side you have companies like Thawte that are keeping up with the changes. Though criminals are giving companies a run for their money, those companies are not laying down. They are working just as hard to continue using the latest advances to bring even more security to their gaming customer’s needs. Expect even better products to be developed in coming months as gaming continues to take over the market of online interactions.

Intercash Teams with Mastercard

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010

In the world of gambling there are more companies cropping up that are going to offer prepaid card payments for playing at online casinos. Now Intercash is the latest company to enter the market and it is promising to bring funding options to the world of gaming. That has been a problem in the past due to the UIGEA of 2006. The UIGEA, or Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, put all financial institutions on the chopping block if they accepted online transactions related to gambling. Banks as a result became highly sensitive to any type of casino affiliation and denied transactions that by all accounts should have been accepted. To avoid fees and seizure of monies involved, banks became overly concerned with transactions that even came close to gambling. This made it difficult for people to wager because they had no way of putting money on the online casino account. Now things are changing – most likely because of the overwhelming popularity of online gambling and its pending legalization in the US.

Intercash is a company that hopes to make itself highly useful as the world of gambling continues to expand. One of its main advantages is that wins from casinos can be directly moved to credit cards and then used as a “cash” deposit. The company is backed by MasterCard so it has over 29 million ATM locations throughout the world wide network. The best thing about the Intercash company is that users don’t have a huge set-up process or integration web. It allows users to set it up to function in real time. It is a great way to use an online “e-wallet” solution for gambling. In the market there are many growing pains and Intercash is a company looking to provide an added convenient solution to gamblers and gaming companies worldwide. So far it is already making a name for itself and only time will tell how far it grows in the gambling industry. With the almost sure-fire legalization of gambling in the US coming, the company has a great opportunity to set itself up for success in coming months of lucrative gambling.