Casinos are prime candidates for ransomware attacks , as massive amounts of cash touching their gaming systems create a highly motivating incentive for cybercriminals to target your industry .
new system , and the casino operations are dependent on these systems to run the business . In today ’ s world , cyber agents are not only able to find information about obscure gaming systems , but they have experience attacking them and are actively infiltrating the casino industry with increasing success via ransomware attacks .
We can see in other industries , as the criminals concentrate on evolving their attacks at an industry vertical , they develop specialized techniques for the victimized industry of their choice . Furthermore , ransomware attackers become more proficient and continue to refine their malicious tactics with each attempt to hack a business , gaining insight about how to target attacks in that industry with greater efficacy .
The health care industry is one that is undoubtedly familiar with the relentlessness of cyberattacks after having cost the industry an amount in excess of $ 20 billion over just the last five years . The gaming industry needs to learn from the experience of these other industries to prepare for the oncoming ransomware attacks .
Casinos are prime candidates for ransomware attacks , as massive amounts of cash touching their gaming systems create a highly motivating incentive for cybercriminals to target your industry . In addition to the massive cash incentive hackers seek though carrying out ransomware attacks , it is important to be aware of the significant risk that is accompanied with the highly sensitive information in a casino ’ s customer database .
Therefore , it is not just the casinos that are being threatened by cybercriminals ; your customers are just as much of a target . Consider what a criminal holding a casino ransom might do with the information including highnet-worth individuals ’ data , such a their behavioral and spending patterns .
On top of the tremendous deliberation , yet immediate action , required during a ransomware attack in which the result of any decision made is anything but certain , your casino is having to mitigate the damage that has been done to the customer relationships . Even if your casino is fortunate enough to have skated by without its customers being personally attacked during the cyber breach , will the customers even return once the property has reopened if trust has been lost ?
For properties fortunate enough to have not been successfully attacked by a hacker yet — and especially those that have — that don ’ t already have a substantial cybersecurity defense in place , it is well past time to implement a comprehensive cyber defense into your operating budget , because more likely than not , your organization is already exposed to thousands of attempted cyberattacks every month .
Recognizing Ransomware Attacks
Ransomware attacks are one of the most difficult cyberattack methods to combat , so it is important to be mindful of how they present themselves and the undoubted fact that they are actively attempting to breach the casino systems . Pretty much anyone who has ever had an email account has probably received at least one , if not hundreds of terribly obvious phishing emails and sent them to the trash bin .
Casinos are prime candidates for ransomware attacks , as massive amounts of cash touching their gaming systems create a highly motivating incentive for cybercriminals to target your industry .
However , it is imperative to remain cognizant of phishing emails that are not as obvious as one might assume . It is unsettling how shockingly simple it is for anyone to send an email from a fake address that rather legitimately appears to be the manager of the employee who failed to recognize that something wasn ’ t quite right about the message .
There are dozens of fundamental computer systems within a gaming operation , so it is important to always be aware of any known issues and make sure that only those who should be aware of these faults are the only ones with knowledge of their existence , because ransomware agents are able to take advantage of these weaknesses to begin attacking the systems .
These opportunities for cyberattackers include zero-day vulnerabilities . These zero-day attacks are attacks that take place through known weaknesses in core systems , such as Microsoft Windows . These attacks are virtually unstoppable . Attackers can , for example , initiate zero-day attacks at organization-issued iPhones . Consider that the web browser Chrome experienced and resolved at least six zero-day flaws last year ; hopefully this example sheds some perspective on how very much possible — or more so , likely — this is at your property .
Trojan horses are another common threat that imposes hidden malicious code onto a legitimate software program after initially making its way onto the device through a downloaded software that appears to be legitimate by the victim of downloading it . Cybercriminals even attempt to bribe casino employees as a means of obtaining internal information or access .
Ransomware Defense : Steps for Mitigation
The first step in mitigation is to install a redundant gaming system at the property . By implementing this system , the property will be enabled to continue operations by merely switching to the redundant gaming system in the event of a ransomware cyberattack . The backup gaming system , albeit a likely imperfect solution , will accomplish the job of keeping the business open .
The backup system that runs on the second SAS port should allow for it to instantly fail down to an entirely different physical environment . Starting this system in passive monitoring mode , it can then be switched to an active
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