Gaming affiliates are trusted with some pretty sensitive customer data like email addresses and, oftentimes, credit card information. Protecting this information from hackers, and even other affiliates, is a job that should not be taken lightly. After all, players who see your site as a security threat aren’t likely to be doing business with you for long.
In light of the alleged Expekt news about player stealing, securing your customer database from hackers, spyware and other threats (both online and physical) should be at the top of your list of things to get done this week. It doesn’t require a degree in network security. Just following a few basic security measures on a regular basis can keep your sensitive data safe and secure.
Password Best Practices
Basic password security practices cost nothing and can save thousands and thousands of dollars in downtime and lost customer info. Every affiliate with a secured customer database should consider the following
- Change the passwords several times a year. And if you’ve given access to employees, change it every time one of them quits or gets fired.
- Use a unique password for sensitive information. If your Twitter account gets hacked, you can bet that hackers will be trying that password every place they can, including your network and databases.
Update Anti-Virus Software
Hackers thrive on procrastination and happily pounce on any site that isn’t ready for their latest and greatest attacks. Updating your anti-virus software (and we’re going to assume that everyone who has made it this far is actually running it!) is an inexpensive cost of doing business on the Internet. Don’t let the hackers get the upper hand because you’re too cheap to update your software.
Protect the Physical Data
Thanks smart phones, laptops and USB Flash drives, your customer database is susceptible to a range of offline dangers, too. If you must carry sensitive data on any type of mobile device, make certain that it’s got an additional layer of encryption besides password protection.
There are plenty of stories of laptops containing credit card databases getting left in taxicabs and getting lost forever. Most hacks aren’t hackers, too. But why take chances? Basic database protection measures can save major headaches.
And, heaven’s sakes, don’t use public wifi networks on mobile devices with sensitive data. Stick to secured networks or risk exposing your info to mobile hackers.
Privacy/Security Policies
Even if you’re a one-man, or woman-, shop you can still benefit from written privacy and security policies. Writing down the procedures you plan on using to protect player data helps hold you to those procedures. It also helps keep you and your staff on the same page.
Finally
Protecting player databases builds trust over time and if your players don’t feel like they can trust you, you’re in big trouble.
What are your tips for protecting player data? Share them with the CAP community on our Website Design and Development Forum.