“Bookie bots” target gambling sites
A cyber security company says bots are being used to carry out DDoS attacks to disrupt gambling sites.
UK. The cyber security company Imperva has claimed that cybercriminals are using “bookie bots” to carry out DDoS attacks on gambling sites to disrupt their services. It estimates that 25 per cent of gambling sites were hit by DDoS attacks in June alone.
The company warned that such attacks could cause a loss of revenue and of customer trust. It said that an attack could cause a loss of £115,000 per hour for a company generating £1bn in revenue a year. Its research suggests cybercriminals are particularly targeting major sporting events, such as Wimbledon, which led to a 10 per cent increase in DDoS attacks at the end of June.
The company also suggested that criminals often attack a second time, with 80 per cent of the gambling sites that were attacked in the last 12 months being hit more than once. It said this was because the criminals realised that the sites were vulnerable.
Yuriy Arbitman, a data scientist at Imperva, said: “Businesses need to be able to identify and mitigate a DDoS attack in seconds. If one is hit during a major event like Wimbledon or an international tournament like the Euros or World Cup, even if they’re only down for twenty or thirty minutes, the revenue loss could be substantial.
“Online businesses need always-on DDoS protection, not just for website domains but across all APIs, applications and across the entire network infrastructure.”
Entain hit with largest fine in British gambling history
The FTSE 100 gambling group Entain Plc has been issued with a £17m financial penalty – the largest ever fine doled out by the British gambling regulator, the Gambling Commission. The operator has also had conditions added to its licence and has been ordered to implement an improvement plan.
The penalty dwarves recent financial settlements reached with 888 (£9.4m), LeoVegas (£1.32m) and Sky Bet (£1.17m). The total penalty comprised £14m for Entain’s LC International online business and a further £3m for Ladbrokes Betting & Gaming. LC International operates 13 websites targeting the British market, while Ladbrokes runs 2,750 land-based venues in the country.
