Online security experts met last week to discuss the worrying trend of increasing cyberattacks against casinos and other leisure operators, a new report reveals. The recent discussion comes ahead of planned changes to the cyber regulations in Nevada.
Cyberattacks Impact Gambling Operators
During the conference, experts from the cyber security industry warned that casinos and other entertainment industries may be impacted by cyberattacks, a new report released by CDC Gaming reveals. The National Council of Legislators from Gaming States gathered cyber security experts that discussed some recent cases of cyberattacks and flagged the importance of mechanisms and solutions that protect customer and company data.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board’s senior policy Administrative Division counsel, Michael Morton, reminded that Las Vegas has been impacted multiple times via different cyberattacks which resulted in leaks of personal information. At the start of the pandemic, around March 2020, the gambling regulator in the state acknowledged that two Las Vegas operators were victims of a cyberattack.
“It shut down the casinos’ websites and affected hotel check-in procedures to the point where guests had to pay cash to get into their rooms, because none of the computer systems was working.“
Michael Morton, senior policy counsel of the Administration Division at the Nevada Gaming Control Board
The cyberattack impacted Binion’s and Four Queens, Morton reminded, saying that the two venues had issues with their operations for nearly a week. He explained that the cyberattack impacted the operation of slots as well as hotel check-ins, bringing difficulties for the two downtown casinos.
Cyberattacks can negatively impact businesses and result in thousands or even millions in losses. Morton added that one such cyberattack impacted Las Vegas Sands. It is believed that the attack originated from Iran and resulted in some $40 million in losses for the operator to remedy the impact.
Operators Need to Defend Themselves from Cyberattacks
Michael Tobin, Continent 8 Technologies’ founder and CEO, who was also present at the conference added that cyberattacks, in particular denial-of-service attacks, have seen an uptick of 400% in the last year. Moreover, he warned that other attacks have increased by 300% in the last year and a half.
Tobin warned that amid the growing AI technologies and the development of supercomputers, those attacks are likely to get even worse. This is one of the prime reasons, he added, why companies need to be prepared with a complex framework to protect their business data and the data of their customers.
“There will always be bad guys and you have to be one step ahead of them.“
Michael Tobin, founder and CEO of Continent 8 Technologies
Continent 8 Technologies’ boss told the story of a gaming operator that runs a sports betting platform that suffered from a cyberattack back in October. Tobin did not reveal the name of the company but said that the attack lasted for five days and the operator asked for help. Acknowledging that the company was able to handle the attack, Tobin pointed out that this was likely one of the biggest cyberattacks this year on a global scale.