The gaming world is very competitive, especially for gaming entrepreneurs. If you have gone through all the time, effort, and expense of starting your own gaming site, you need to make sure it can go the distance. One of the ways to do this is to ensure your site is as secure as possible. Any security issues can quickly land you in regulatory and reputational trouble, which can be hard to recover from. Thankfully, technology is here to save the day. There are several new tools out there that can help you step up security, identify illegitimate traffic, and help you understand who is visiting your site.
Blockchain onboarding
Blockchain started out life as the technology underpinning Bitcoin. But over the last 10 years, it has transformed and is now being used for multiple purposes in many different sectors. Its use cases have been expanded, in part, due to something called smart contracts. A smart contract is a program that is designed to self execute when specific, pre-programmed conditions are met. These conditions are decided upon before the creation of the contract and could relate to purchasing a house, issuing a passport, or a rental contract.
Smart contracts can also be used to self-execute a chain of events once certain obligations are satisfied, like in the onboarding process. Upon the submission and verification of various documents, a gaming account can be opened, and deposits can be made without the need for a human. The bonus is that because everything takes place on the blockchain, the process is completely transparent and 100% immutable. This increases security and reduces the risk of disputes or compliance issues further down the line.
IP lookup tool
An IP lookup tool is a great way to protect yourself and your site from nefarious activity. It allows you to find out information on a visitor to your site, just from their IP address. The IP lookup tool is capable of checking various bits of information such as whether the visitor is using a VPN, whether the IP is on a blacklist, where the individual is located, or if they are using a proxy. It can quickly help you identify if the visitor is a bot, whether there are any connections between seemingly different users, or whether they are high-risk users.
The use of this tool is recommended when you first onboard the client, though it can also be used throughout the relationship. You can use it to spot inconsistencies in user behavior. For example, if they previously logged in via one IP address in one location but suddenly changed to another location in a very strange or remote country, this could be a potential red flag. Such a tool is indispensable to platforms that want to protect themselves from problematic users or bots.
AI verifications
We all know that human beings are prone to mistakes, hence the phrase “human error.” But when it comes to security, can we really afford errors? This is where artificial intelligence (AI) comes in. Gaming companies can use AI to verify users both at the onboarding stage and throughout the customer relationship. The main example is the use of facial recognition. At the signup stage, AI can compare the image on identity documents with an image from a webcam to ensure they are the same person. This can also be done during logins or when transfers, withdrawals, or deposits are made.
Using the technology in this way can significantly reduce the risk of identity fraud or account hijacking. If a discrepancy in identity is found, you can request further verification or suspend the account, depending on your internal processes. AI can also take care of customer due diligence and Know Your Customer processes, including asking for documentation and verifying it. This can help protect your customers and you from illicit activity.
Big data
There is so much data out there these days, but knowing how to harness it and extract meaning can be a big bonus for businesses. Doing this manually can be time-consuming and problematic, especially if we are talking about millions of transactions or thousands of users. This is where big data comes in. Big data can go through endless amounts of data in seconds, quantifying and making sense of it before presenting it to you in a way you can use.
For example, it can identify suspicious behavior based on thousands of regular transactions. It can also flag anomalies or changes in patterns that could suggest an account has been hijacked or is carrying out illegal activity. Big data can also help you better serve your customers through personalization and tailoring their user experience to what they want. In the gaming sector, where competition is fierce, using big data to finetune security and personalization will give you a significant edge.
2FA
The use of 2FA is a great way to increase the security of your site. 2FA stands for two-factor authentication, and it refers to a specific kind of authentication that offers increased protection for account holders. Instead of just entering a password or PIN, 2FA requires two separate verification processes before access to the account is granted. For example, the first step could be entering a password or PIN as usual. However, the second step could see the user have to approve access via a smartphone application.
This decreases the risk of hacking or account hijacking and provides an additional, stronger layer of security for users. Other approval forms can include responding to a push notification, a fingerprint confirmation, or inputting another code on their registered mobile device. By using this kind of technology, nefarious actors cannot access a user’s account without possessing their registered device as well.
Just remember: criminals are always trying to be one step ahead. This means that you need to stay on top of your security arrangements and make sure the tools you use remain up to date. Ensuring your security and that of your users is paramount and will have a direct impact on your success.
