Embracing & Protecting the Cloud with App and Mobile Security

Instead of using banking information for betting, many online gaming applications are accepting cryptocurrency as a form of wager and payment, also known as ‘cryptogambling’ in the non-regulated gaming market.

Crypto is a preferred payment method for many online betting customers because it’s fast and easy to use with low fees and privacy benefits. Using a digital wallet for betting enables customers to connect payment directly to the gaming site without having to input any credit card information, adding a layer of data privacy to their gameplay.

Artificial intelligence can make decisions during online gameplay that directly respond to a player’s actions, creating realistic gaming interactions. AI is also being used to improve security and maintain compliance by monitoring trends as well as flag suspicious and fraudulent activities.

Hesitation to play online casino games comes from distrust and the conception that casinos have removed luck from the equation. To build user trust, more gaming organizations have been adding live dealers to their online games. This also gives a more realistic feel to the entertainment side of online gaming.

VR is another trend in the gaming industry that aims to bring an immersive experience to online gaming customers. Virtually, consumers can feel like they’ve been instantly transported to a Las Vegas casino. In reality, they are gaming in the cloud and could be revealing their hand of personal data to savvy cybercriminals.

Although more security precautions are being taken across the gaming industry, hackers working in the cybercrime gig economy are always looking for new ways to access data. With the rise of bad actors accessing vulnerabilities in online gaming applications, investing in appropriate protocols and tools is vital to protecting the personal data and funds of users.

These gaming industry trends are all being driven by the desire to provide an improved customer experience. Similarly, security regulations have been evolving in an effort to keep up with the trends in the interest of protecting consumers. This means internal IT teams at gaming organizations are tasked with even more testing to remain compliant.

Regular and thorough testing is one aspect of what gaming organizations must do to demonstrate regulatory compliance.

For example, application security testing is an important component of a security strategy. If code is not developed securely in the player account management (PAM) system, for example, it allows potential hackers an open door to the customer and even admin-sensitive information. Considering the gaming industry’s quick development cycle, new programmers may rush through a fix and leave a vulnerability in the code.

Added security testing for gaming applications may feel like a competing priority for internal IT teams considering their existing (and growing) workloads. However, the investment is essential for gaming organizations that want to evolve faster than cybercriminals.

Gaming organizations that take a proactive approach by using authentication, encryption, logging, and testing to evaluate the effectiveness of their security actions are adding a new level of security without compromising customer experience, resulting in a competitive advantage.

This doesn’t have to be a burden on internal teams—third-party security experts offer scalable solutions to help gaming organizations better manage their security.

For example, Everi, a gaming supplier, was committed to working with a trusted security partner to help verify they were building the most secure products possible for their customers. They partnered with Bulletproof to deliver secure, world-class cash management and gaming content solutions to their customers while improving their security posture through various security assessments, testing, and planning.

The explosion of gaming entertainment being delivered through mobile applications, VR experiences, online casinos, sportsbooks, and more, all have one thing in common—the cloud. With the opportunity to reach more customers comes the opportunity to reach more cybercriminals. When appropriate security actions are continuously being implemented by trusted experts, the benefits outweigh the risks of doing business in the cloud and the house wins.