Cyberattacks are increasing. Merkur is the latest gambling giant hit by hackers. Big industry names shift focus to better defences for online casinos.

One of the biggest challenges for many online casinos today is security. Despite efforts to keep their platforms safe, cyber hackers are becoming more relentless in their attacks.

Just recently, the German provider Merkur Gaming was hit by a cyberattack, leaving the sensitive data of 800,000+ users exposed.

Merkur attacked

The most recent cyberattack resulted in the exposure of thousands of Merkur players' personal information.

According to the reports, the breach was caused by an unprotected API. This enabled the hackers to access personal and financial information without authorisation. The stolen data included everything from names and account details to histories from Merkur's game portfolio.

The incident came to light thanks to ethical hacker Lilith Wittmann, who discovered the vulnerabilities within Merkur’s systems, which included affected German casinoslike Slotmagie.de, MerkurBets.de, and Crazybuzzer.de.

Since this information was revealed, Merkur has taken the necessary steps to address the issue and strengthenits cybersecurity measures. The recent cyber attack is just another reminder of why robust security protocols are so vital in the digital age.

Merkur did send warnings about the breach to its users. However, upon further investigation, we see the gambling firm is not entirely at fault, as a Malta-based company, The Mill Adventure, provides the software. In fact, some websites using the software aren’t on the allowedlist under German gambling regulations.

Not the first attack

While it’s not something anyone wants to hear, we can’t help but point back to some of the biggest heists in recent years. Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is when hackers stole $41 million from Stake Casino.

Since then, there have been quite a few others. Lazarus, the group considered behind the Stake Casino attack, pulled off one of the largest crypto heists in the world. They infiltrated the exchange platform ByBit’s system and took $1.5 billion.

Other notable hacks include MetaWin's $4 million lossor the 14 Canadian casinos, where operations came to a halt due to the breaches.

Hacks are growing in number, and the main objective is to increase security and prevent future attacks. This is especially important for online companies that aim to give their players peace and protection as they play.

Cyberattacks in the future

We recently interviewed Evgeny Zaretskov, a Group Chief Information Security Officer, and Artem Bychkov, a Deputy Chief Security Officer at SOFTSWISS, to discuss today’s security measures along with the newly launched Bug Bounty Program.

Cyberattacks are going to keep coming, and the only way to prevent themis by keeping up to date, always staying a step ahead, and having the right procedures in place. It’s like a game of chess with only one winner. The end game is to protect the player and take out the opponent.

Stronger defences

In terms of defence, online casinos and gambling companies are taking extra cybersecurity measures to protect their player information and prevent future breaches.

Some of the top strategies include:

• Data encryption: Casinos make use of advanced encryption protocols like SSL data encryptionto protect sensitive data during transactions and storage.
• Firewalls: They implement firewall technology which blocks unauthorised accessand filters out malicious traffic before it can reach the casino.
• Secure payment systems: They use encrypted payment systems to further ensure the safety of transactions.
• Anti-fraud systems: They check for any suspicious activities, including unusual betting patterns and account takeovers.
• Regular audits: With regular security audits, they identify and fix any possible vulnerabilitieswithin the system.

Follow CasinoWow to be up to date with the latest developments and happenings in casinos and cybersecurity. Stay safe!