The rise of online poker

As one of the most popular traditional casino games of all time, poker gaming has been around for decades and is loved by people across the globe. With the latest technological developments, poker is now available to more people than ever thanks to advanced wifi connections and new technologies that have made poker an incredibly interactive online game that rivals its brick-and-mortar counterpart.

While similar to the traditional game, online poker operates at a much faster pace, as well as allowing players to play in multiple poker rooms at any one time. This means that players have a higher chance of winning, as well as being able to take away a larger jackpot when playing online. Alongside these appealing factors, technology like live dealer casinos where a real life dealer is streamed from a physical location, as well as Virtual Reality are helping to make online poker a real success.

The downside of this incorporation of the latest technologies is that online poker sites and the accompanying technologies that players are taking advantage of are becoming more of a target for cybercriminals.

How are online poker sites keeping players safe?

(A cyber-attack taking place on a screen)

While online poker sites are a major target for the most sophisticated of cyber criminals, there are a number of measures that online poker providers have put in place to keep both themselves and players safe. Let’s take a look at some of these measuresbelow:

Wallet Segmentation

It has become common practice on online poker and casino sites to separate prize pool wallets from a players deposit wallet in order to add an extra layer of security. This ensures a player’s money is safe and that they can get a reimbursement should a cyber attack take place on the site.

Advanced Encryption

Most online poker sites now have advanced methods of encryption which protect the integrity of their players’ data. Such data that is protected includes account information, dealing data, wallet information, and even chat messages. Encryption is all the more important for customers who opt to download a skin for mobile play.

Authentication

Just like online banking, online poker sites have now deployed advanced methods of authentication in order to protect players accounts. At the very least, online poker sites must use two-factor authentication as a reinforced layer of security for their customers. Some online poker sites have even gone as far as issuing RSA tokens, much like you would find in stock account trading platforms and with some consumer banks.

What can online poker players do to keep themselves safe?

(A dashboard showing cyber attacks)

While there are a certain number of advanced procedures in place to protect consumers using online poker sites, there are also some things that players can look out for themselves to be extra vigilant.

Complete security updates

It’s all well and good having anti-virus software on your system, however, unless you are completing the regular updates then you can’t be sure that you are protected.

Use strong passwords

All too many people use the same password for each of the websites that they use. However, there is advanced software that now makes it incredibly easy for cyber criminals to crack a password, meaning it’s never been so important to have secure passwords for each site you use.

There are a number of tools online and in-browser that help you to create a secure password. Worried you won’t remember them all? You’re not supposed to! Use a tool like LastPass in order to keep track of all of your passwords for each site you use.

Overall, the risk of a cyber-attack is continuously increasing and anyone that uses a technological device is at risk. However, you should not let this put you off using an online poker site as by following the above advice and by ensuring you use a reputable online poker provider, you’re sure to have a positive online experience.