Cyber Security Threats Fantasy Sports Betting - Computers Nationwide

Tackling Cyber Security Threats in Fantasy Sports & Online Betting

Football season is back! That means it is time for tailgating, touchdowns, and Sunday fun. For many fans, that also means a new fantasy football season – another chance to prove your knowledge of the game and make some money in the process. Fantasy sports betting continues to grow in popularity as users have the ability to make bets instantly on their smartphones.
A Research and Markets report shows that the fantasy sports market is expected to grow from $22.36 billion in 2021 to $38.60 billion in 2025. Since the US Supreme Courts 2018 decision to remove the Professional and Amatuer Sports Protections Act, 24 states have legalized sports betting. Improved digital infrastructures, smartphone availability, and optimized fantasy sports applications have also contributed to the rise in online sports betting.
Does your business run a fantasy sports platform, or participate in a league with your employees? Or maybe you own a sports betting app? Whether your business has skin in the game or your employees are participating in these activities outside of work, cybersecurity should be a top priority to defend against stealthy hackers this football season!
Online sports betting and even simply creating fantasy team accounts would not be possible without collecting Personal Identifiable Information (PII). This information is necessary to run a platform that allows users to spend and receive money digitally. Because of this, sports betting entities contain troves of sensitive data. Bettors are often required to create accounts that ask for:
  • Age and/or Date of Birth
  • Phone Number
  • Social Security Number
  • Physical Address
  • Email Address
  • Banking Information and/or Credit Card Info
Imagine if this information got into the wrong hands…Cyber criminals view sports betting websites as a gold mine because they can steal large amounts of valuable information, all from one source. Additionally, employees that use their work devices or work email accounts for sports betting or fantasy account creation are potentially putting your business at risk for malware, ransomware, phishing, and hacking.
According to Bloomberg Law: Daily fantasy sports are an online game in which participants wager on the individual performances of players, instead of a full team, and try to beat the odds against hundreds of other players in prize pools. The winnings of each game depend on the amount of participants and the entry value of each team.
The daily fantasy sports industry is the “intersection of tech, money and personally identifiable information (PII),” Fred Rica, principal and U.S. Cyber Defense Leader at consulting company KPMG in New York, told Bloomberg BNA. That intersection “is part of a perfect storm, a bull’s-eye for someone that is going to go after you because of the valuable information you possess,” he said.
Cyber Security Threats Fantasy Sports Betting - Computers Nationwide
When businesses are breached, it hurts their reputation, finances, and business continuity. The best ways to secure your organization’s sensitive data and protect employee devices is to implement the dream team: endpoint protection, employee cybersecurity training, cloud data backup & security, and RMM tools
Create the ultimate cybersecurity defense for your SMB by partnering with Computers Nationwide to draft your all-star lineup…
“Business officials should make sure the company has a multi-layered cybersecurity solution that can predict, prevent, detect and respond to attacks, and should include capabilities like endpoint protection, file antivirus, threat management and hybrid cloud security. In addition, there should be a dedicated solution to automate system monitoring and reporting, as well as policies about what fantasy sites and apps are allowed in the workplace and what behavior is acceptable.” IT Pro Today
4 Tips for Operating a Cyber-Safe Fantasy Sports or Sports Betting Platform

IT and cyber security professionals have reported countless viruses, malware compromises, and phishing attacks linked to fantasy football and online betting sites. Position your platform’s security posture and cyber hygiene for success with these quick tips…

  • Invest in Secure Payment Systems
    • Your bettors are trusting you with their money. Ensure the program they use to withdraw and deposit money on your platform is safe and secure. Make sure your website is SSL encrypted. Learn more about encryption on our blog!
  • Strict Authentication
  • Risk Flagging System
    • Have a system in place to flag risky accounts, sketchy user activity, and suspicious transactions.
  • Utilize Managed Cyber Security Services
4 Tips for SMBs and Employees Involved in Sports Betting or Fantasy Sports

While your workplace can implement rules for employee use of work devices and appropriate use of their email accounts, it’s not a given that these rules will be followed. It’s better to be safe than sorry with these cyber security tips for your SMB

  • Filter Your Emails
    • Make sure employees are not using their work email accounts to sign up for these platforms! Always protect your business network by using an email filtering system to automatically detect and remove any emails containing threats, such as suspicious links or harmful attachments. View tips for dodging email threats!
  • Verify Gaming License, SSL Certificate, and Valid Registration
    • Reputable fantasy or sports betting websites will have their betting license accessible and secure your personal information with an SSL certificate on their website. An SSL certificate is a digital certificate that authenticates a website’s identity and enables an encrypted connection.
  • Investigate Their Customer Service
    • Any online social platform, service, or app without solid customer service practices (including an easy way to contact them) is a big red flag. If they don’t want to be contacted, it is likely a scam.
  • Spotting Fakes
    • Watch out for fake apps! Downloading unsecure app can open the door to malware and other viruses on your company’s network. If employees are using work devices to participate in these activities, make sure their laptops, smartphones, and tablets are secure with endpoint protection. Check out this guide for keeping work devices safe!

Cyber Security Threats Fantasy Sports Betting - Computers Nationwide

Drafting a Strong Safety with Cyber Security and IT Solutions from Computers Nationwide

Prevent hackers from scoring on sensitive information and stealing money! As the trusted managed IT service provider in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin, our goal is to provide you with the highest standards of technology knowledge and support so that your business remains secure with a competitive edge in the marketplace.

Our mission is to help ensure that your technology infrastructure is performing at optimal levels so you can focus on running your business smoothly! Let’s work together to make sure your workplace is using these IT, data, and cyber security best practices…

Establish an impenetrable goal line defense, made up of endpoint protection, employee cyber security training, cloud data backup & security, and RMM tools from Computers Nationwide and our network partners.
Endpoint Protection

Did you know that 95% of cybersecurity breaches are caused by human error? Insider attacks remain the largest threats to organizations today. Endpoint protection, or endpoint security, is a general term that describes cybersecurity services for network endpoints. Laptops, desktops, smartphones, tablets, servers, and virtual environments are examples of endpoints. Endpoint security may include antivirus and antimalware, web filtering, and more.

Endpoint protection helps businesses keep critical systems, intellectual property, customer data, employees, and guests safe from ransomware, phishing, malware, and other cyberattacks. Have a peace of mind knowing your work devices and network are protected from whatever online activities employees may be engaging in!

Employee Cyber Security Training

We believe that training our clients and their teams about the best cybersecurity practices is no longer optional – it’s necessary! Not only is cyber security training a vital investment that will protect your business under “normal” circumstances, but ever since the pandemic moved workers into their homes with less cyber protection, hackers have pounced more aggressively than before.

Many organizations recognize the importance of delivering Security Awareness Training but lack the expertise or resources to deploy and manage a training program that follows these best practices. That’s when it’s time to seek out education from your trusted managed service provider, Computers Nationwide!

Cloud Data Backup & Security

How are you currently backing up and protecting sensitive data and important documents? Does your business regularly backup important data? Do you have a data recovery plan in place in case a disaster hits? These are all vital questions to ask in today’s digital world. Old backup methods no longer do the trick.

CN is a firm believer in taking precautions now to prevent disasters in the future. One key practice to protect your business, private data, and other important information is by backing up your equipment in a hybrid cloud infrastructure – that means storing data securely both on-site and on the cloud. We’ve partnered with several industry leading companies that are the go-to solutions for data protection and disaster recovery for our clients.

Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM)

Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) tools give Computers Nationwide the ability to monitor all the devices on a network. Your business’ servers, workstations, printers, routers, switches and wireless networks all which are monitored through service dashboards. The Service Dashboards gives Computers Nationwide the ability to see the current health status of your networked devices and allows us to proactively remediate issues without you even knowing. RMM is a great way to monitor potential threats.

If your employees are using a work device to engage in unsafe sports betting, RMM can spot the threat and neutralize it ASAP! Feel secure with 24/7 monitoring and detection. Learn more about the Managed IT services we offer!

In-app sports betting and fantasy sports are both exciting ways for sports fans to connect with others and experience their favorite sports. It is not going away anytime soon. Now that federal laws about gambling have become more lax, more sports betting opportunities will be available nationwide at your fingertips.
With that instant fun unfortunately also brings more cyber risk as data regulations and cyber security best practices strive to catch up with this thriving market. Whether your workplace is searching for the best cyber defense or looking for ways to intercept outside threats, Computers Nationwide is here to help! Clearly, a multi-layered cybersecurity solution that can predict, prevent, detect and respond to attacks is a must.
An ounce of prevention will greatly reduce your risk of a cyber attack! Is your SMB ready to upgrade your cyber security solutions? Interested in having the IT experts at Computers Nationwide visit your workplace to lead end user security training? How about a comprehensive combination of both?

Let’s discuss your workplace goals to determine the best plan of action!

Ready to enjoy a cyber-safe football season? Allow CN to help you root for your team responsibly.

Businesses in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin trust our IT experts time and time again. Read 5-star reviews on Google!

Let’s connect: (847) 419-9900

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