Choosing the right online casino to play at is really the best way to avoid security pitfalls. Here are some things to look at as you make that choice.

Casino reputation:

This the foremost consideration one should make when deciding where to play. Online casinos have proliferated recently, and naturally, so has the number of unscrupulous casinos. There are more than enough online casinos that have proven their legitimacy over time that you shouldn’t have trouble finding one. Before you give them your credit card information, perform an Internet search of that company. If you cannot find anyone saying good things about that company, there is probably a good reason for that.

If It’s Too Good To Be True, It Probably Is

Online casinos are in an ultra-competitive market. Many upstart casinos will offer alluring bonuses in an effort to woo new customers. Not that all of these offers are illegitimate, but no casino is in the business of giving you free money. If the bonus offer reminds you of the time a man tried to sell you a $50 “Rolex,” it is probably bogus or at the very least a bonus with conditions that are nearly impossible to meet.

Online Security:

You can never be too safe in addressing security concerns when choosing an online casino. Dishonest gambling sites can wreak havoc if they so desire. Players who have taken a leap of faith with an unknown online casino will tell you horror stories of malware compromising their entire personal and financial privacy. Choosing a casino with generally accepted security in place is of paramount importance.

If you give your business to an established site with solid standing in the online gaming community, you receive the same security that you would at the most well-known online purchasing sites. You may also consider running an anti-malware program of your own just as an added layer of security.

Financial Stability:

Online casinos, particularly newer ones, should be evaluated on the grounds of their financial stability before you play. Imagine a new sports betting site that has a terrible weekend. That could jeopardize their whole operation. You would be more hesitant to bet large amounts with a fledgling bookie than you would with an established bookie. Adopt this same perspective when betting online.

Final Thoughts:

The decision of where you gamble online is the most important security-related choice you will make. New players searching on the Internet will be besieged with tantalizing offers by outfits they never heard of. These usually empty promises should not be valued over the reliability and reputation of better-known sites. They might not offer you the world, but take that as a good sign.

Viruses

Similar to its biological counterpart, a virus is a small computer program designed to propagate from host to host.  It most cases, its intent is to damage or interfere with the operation of the infected machine.  The tendencies of a virus range from corrupting or deleting files on your computer, to erasing everything on your hard disk.  This type of malware primarily spreads through emails or instant messages.  This is why it is so important that you never open an email attachment from a casino you are not familiar with.  Because a virus can also be concealed in an application you download, you need to be very cautious about the casino software you obtain from the internet.

Trojan Horses

Its named derived from a story famed in Greek mythology, a Trojan horse is a malicious program designed to deceive to the user.  A Trojan often appears to be a useful or desirable application such as a downloadable internet casino platform, which is the very reason why so many unknowing users have been infected.  Though often closely associated, a Trojan horse is not a virus, mainly because it can’t self-replicate and send itself from host to host.  Once activated, this type of malware may have the ability to access your files, folder or the entire system.  One of its most common tendencies is to create a backdoor that allows your system to be accessed from a remote location or install other malicious programs.  Because a Trojan horse can be so unpredictable, this is certainly one piece of malware you want to avoid at all costs.

Spyware

In general, spyware describes a technology that has the ability to collect information without a user’s knowledge.  Most of the time, this data is collected to provide details to advertisers or other interested parties.  It has also been known to act as adware and display unwanted advertisements on your screen.  The most troubling part of it all is that spyware is often installed without you even knowing about it.  Then there is always the threat of these programs being used to collect sensitive or financial details.  Because it is an invasion of your privacy at the very least, spyware is one type of malware you need to look out for when visiting online casino sites and downloading gaming software.

The malware family is one of the biggest threats facing internet users today.  The impact of an infection can range from subtle annoyances to catastrophic situations where your computer is inoperable or your identity is in jeopardy.  The best way to avoid these potentially harmful programs is to install a reliable security software tool on your computer and practice safe surfing on the web. 

Although you may deal with a few sites that take weeks to pay out your winnings, rarely will you encounter those that put you in a precarious position that leads to fraud or identity theft.  With that said, there are still a few casino sites that are not regulated and adequately protected against security threats.  These are websites you don’t not want to find yourself on.  Looking out for your best interest, we have composed a short checklist you should refer to if you want to ensure safe and secure online casino gaming.

128-bit SSL Digital Encryption

Every respectable online casino utilizes at least 128-bit SSL encryption to provide a high level of security for electronic transactions that occur over the web.  Because of its efficiency, SSL has become the industry standard, a technology used by world’s largest banks and financial institutions, retail stores and e-commerce sites.  To quickly verify this security, you can check for signs of a valid SSL certificate on the casino’s website.

World-class Payment Options

The flexibility and security of online casino transactions can be greatly enhanced when the site deals with established banking vendors and payment services.  Therefore, you should choose a casino that offers support for as many of the following options as possible.

- Credit Cards, (Mastercard and Visa)

- Debit Cards (Mastercard, Visa, Visa Electron, Maestro)

- PayPal

- Netseller

- Ukash

- PaySafeCard

- Moneybookers

- UseMyBank

- EcoCard

- ClickandBuy

-Entropay

- EZIPay

- Direct Bank Transfer

Fraud Detection and Verified Banking

One can never be too cautious when dealing with online casinos.  For this reason, making sure the casino utilizes advanced anti-fraud technology and fully verifies bank transactions is a must.   One of the first things you should do is verify whether the sites uses a legitimate financial transaction company.  For instance, if you look into casinos like Spin Palace, Mummys Gold and Ruby Fortune Casino, you will find that these sites process their transactions through reputable brands such as Eproc Ltd, Mezzaine West, Hadfield House, Library Street and Gibralter.  These particular casinos also use DataCash Group PLC, which offers industry-leading anti-fraud detection solutions.  Casinos powered by Cryptologic, Microgaming and Playtech software platforms usually offer a high level of security, but it’s always good to double check their credentials.

Absolute Confidentiality

Securing your banking information should be the number one priority when you make the decision to gamble online.  This is why you should never underestimate the possibility of a casino passing on your personal data to a third-party source.  An alarming number of players have been victimized by online fraud and identity theft because they didn’t take this threat into account.  Furthermore, unless you want to be bombarded with spam messages and endless sales calls, making sure the online casino offers 100% confidentiality should be another top priority on your list.

Top-Grade Security Features

One measure online casino operators are taking to ensure security is the use of a proven security protocol known as Secure Sockets Layer or SSL.  This method encrypts all data sent to and from the casino in a code that is unreadable to unauthorized third parties.  Even if a hacker is able to intercept the transmission, they will not be able to view or use it in any way.  Only via the authorized receiver can the message be decrypted and read.  Over the years, encryption technology has evolved for the best and the online casino industry has embraced it with open arms.  Although 128-bit encryption is the standard, some casinos take security one step further with 256-bit SSL encryption.  This level is tried and proven, virtually impossible for an unauthorized party to break.

Traffic Control and Prevention

In most cases, the sensitive information stored on the casino’s servers is also protected against unauthorized infiltration.  One of the most effective methods used to ensure this is the implementation of firewalls.  A firewall is a security mechanism that offers the ability to regulate network traffic and prevent access from unauthorized users.  With the proper configurations, penetrating a web server is extremely difficult with the presence of a reliable firewall.

Security Policies and Secure Platforms

Within the typical online casino administration, strict policies exist for accessing the personal information stored on the systems.  Only authorized staff members are provided with access to this information through passwords and permissions.  Most often, all activity is archived, providing a way for security personnel to check for signs of wrong doing.  Instead of designing the gaming software themselves, online casino entrust the skills of third-party professionals who are more apt to deliver stable and secure platforms.  They incorporate trusted security mechanisms designed by reputable internet security firms such as Thawte and VeriSign to prove their dependability and integrity.

You’re in Good Hands

Today’s online casino software is enhanced with the latest in technology to ensure better security.  Players can now access their accounts through passwords to protect themselves from unauthorized users.  Most of them are designed to automatically log you out of your account when exiting the casino, just in case you forget to disable the facility.  With all the precautions and security measures employed by operators, it is rare that you will hear anything about players being defrauded due to the lack of casino security.  While you still need to do your homework in order to access a truly reliable site, it should be comforting to know that most in the industry are doing their part to keep you protected.

Transaction Security

The internet casino you choose to play with should have a full-proof system in place to process financial transactions.  Aside from protecting the site’s gaming software platform, the system should also provide protection for sensitive data transmitted over the internet.  The operator must utilize state of the art e-commerce solutions to support events in which electronic funds are financially insolvent and if customers sustain losses that result from fraud or errors made on part of the casino staff or any third-party processors involved.  The endless reach and no-holds barred mentality of the internet makes it terribly insecure and without adequate transaction security, your funds could be up for grabs to anyone who wants them.

Account Security

Account security can be considered the most vital element simply because it involves so many different areas.  An online casino that truly makes security a priority will prove it by taking the following measures:

Secure Access to Funds – Most online casino operators maintain customer balances either in cash or cash equivalent.  In either scenario, they should ensure that 100% of each and every customer’s balance is made available for immediate withdrawal and subject to PIN verification.  Going back to transaction security, all real-time deposits and withdrawals should be secured by an efficient security system.

Controlled Access – Any online casino you do business with should only allow customer accounts to be access via an authorized, unique user name and password.  To be on the safe side, you may want to consider playing with a casino that does not store your user name and password on their servers, yet require you to enter these credentials each time you want to log in to your account.  This is very important as high-profile servers are a target of hackers and various network attacks.  While the casino should do its part in enforcing a password policy, it is up to you to be responsible with your login credentials.

Personal Information Verification – You can gauge the level of security an online casino provides within the early stages of setting up your account.  A respectable operator will require that all users registering for an account supply their full legal name and mailing address.  If such information isn’t requested, your internal red flags should pop up immediately.

Security is a full-time job but a challenge an online casino operator should be up for.  Aside from the measures identified in this article, the company should also take the necessary steps to ensure that their servers are protected against virtual threats and even physical instances such as theft, vandalism and natural disasters.  When placing your faith in an online casino, you need the assurance that your personal data and funds are completely safe and secure.

No Encryption, No Gamble

When it comes to internet casinos, it is a good rule of thumb to look for a site that offers a level of security similar to online banks and e-commere stores.  These sites protect their transactions with a security protocol known as SSL.  SSL stands for Secure Lockets Layer and enables a method that creates an encrypted tunnel for sensitive information to pass through.  This basically means that instead of your credit card or bank account information traveling over the internet in plain text, it is scrambled in a manner where the content cannot be viewed even if it was to be intercepted by a cyber thief.  Although most online casinos incorporate SSL certificates, the level of encryption is what you need to pay attention to.  128-bit encryption is currently the industry standard, which essentially means that anything less has been rendered insecure.  Before opening and funding an account, you need to make sure your casino has mechanisms in place to protect you against the roaming threats.

Beyond Secure Transactions

Having a safe way to transfer funds is good, but it isn’t enough to ensure the full-proof security you need to gamble at an online casino.  Once the information arrives at the casino, how do you even know if will be sold or misused in some other way?  You will never know unless you are absolutely sure that you are dealing with a reliable casino.  So, how do you get the proof?  It is actually a simple process that shouldn’t take up much of your time.  In order to prove reliability, an online casino should meet the following criteria:

Be Licensed

Any casino you want to play with should be licensed by a certain jurisdiction.  This basically means that a local jurisdiction such as Antigua or Barbuda has provided them with an official license to legally host a gambling site on the internet.  If the casino has no such license, you shouldn’t play there.  It is as simple as that.

Have Reputable Software

The underlying software plays a major role the efficiency of the game and security as well.  This is especially true if you intend on downloading the application onto your computer.  To make sure you are not unknowingly infecting yourself with malware or using an insufficient gaming platform, check out the software and find out who produced it.  Some reputable names you may want to look for are Cryptologic, Microgamming and RTG as they are industry-leading software developers.

Legitimate Payouts

Online casinos often publish reports detailing estimates on how much they paid out in the form of winnings.  Be that as it may, these reports can be altered or bogus entirely.  To make sure a casino is honest about its payouts, check these numbers with an independent accounting firm.   Price Waterhouse Coopers has a great reputation for helping new players find out if they are dealing with a respectable casino, or another fly-by-night crook.