Today more and more people are choosing to spend some of their leisure time playing in an online casino. It’s more convenient than visiting a traditional “brick and mortar” casino and there may even be more games on offer.
Unfortunately, we also live in a world where cybercrime is on the increase. This means that hackers everywhere are always on the lookout for opportunities to steal people’s data for their nefarious purposes.
Most of us are aware of this risk so take special care when dealing with financial institutions like banks and credit card companies to keep ourselves safe. But not everyone takes the same precautions when it comes to online casinos.
But, while nothing can ever be completely risk-free, there are certain steps we can take to protect ourselves, and our data, as much as possible, including these six actions.
Choose your casino carefully
Step one is always doing to be to choose which casino, or casinos, that you play on with great care.
The first action should be check that it’s been licensed by a recognised gaming authority such as the Gambling Commission in the UK or the Malta Gaming Authority. This will confirm that it operates with a high level of data security, otherwise it would never have been granted a licence to operate.
Then, looking at the casino itself, see what kind of encryption level it uses. This is the sort of information the site should contain. There should also be a clear and comprehensive privacy policy.
Finally, it’s well worth looking around online for player reviews of the casino in question. Often this is the best way to discover any issues that people may have experienced with it in the past. If any are flagged up, move on and choose another place to play.
Create strong passwords
We are always being told to create strong passwords, whether it’s for an online retailer or at work. Still many people continue to use the same password across multiple sites. The dangers of this are obvious.
Once a hacker cracks one of the sites where the same password is used, they may get access to them all.
So, creating a unique password for an online casino account is essential. Often one will be automatically generated that is a virtually uncrackable combination of letters, numbers and special characters which can be saved in an automated password manager. Alternatively, you can create your own.
Two factor authentication
To be doubly secure, where two-factor authentication is an option, this should also be selected. Put simply, this is an additional code that is generally sent to a registered phone or email address that also need to be inputted before access to a site is granted.
It may sometime feel like an extra hoop to have to jump through, but for the extra security that it provides, it is essential.
Make sure that your PC and phone software is up to date
Even the best operating systems for computers and phones have a few glitches in them. Sometimes these can pose a security risk by offering cybercriminals that tiny crack that they need to ease themselves into a system.
Often when you are prompted to install an update it’s because these tiny errors in the programming have been corrected to close up that security loophole. So make sure that whenever prompted, you install that update without delay.
Beware of unsolicited emails
Sometimes just having your email address can be enough for a cybercriminal to get to work. So, watch out for unexpected emails pretending to be from a casino that you use possibly stating that there’s a problem with your account or the need to confirm banking details.
There can also be a file to download – but don’t download it if you’re at all suspicious. There’s a good chance that this will contain a virus including possible ransomware, similar to the scams that have affected so many large organisations in recent times.
Check your online casino account frequently
No matter how seldom you actually play in a casino it’s always going to be a good idea to make frequent checks on any activity in your account.
If there are any transactions that you don’t recognise then it’s essential to get in touch with the customer support team at the casino immediately, and probably your bank as well. Responsible casinos will take action straight away, and your bank may be able to stop or reimburse any withdrawals made fraudulently.
Follow these six strategies and you can be reasonably confident that your data and, just as importantly, your money will be safe in an online casino. And it’s only through everyone taking the same responsible steps that we’re all going to make it more difficult for cyber criminals and hackers to thrive.
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