Staying Safe while Playing Poker Online

Staying safe is a real theme of 2020, so we thought it would be useful to cover other ways to stay safe, other than the obvious COVID-19 precautions. The fact that more people are at home than ever before - the number of people online has gone up. With this, the number of threats has also increased, as we would expect. That said, the number of poker players online has also gone up during lock down. Playing poker remaings one of the most popular games around the world, attracting worldwide audiences across the web. 

 

People do worry when doing anything online, and poker is not any different. Security matters and we are keen to ensure you take the right precautions to stay safe when playing poker online - especially when you are on the go. Security comes in different shapes and sizes when playing at a land based casino - the focus of this article are a few top tips that will allow you to stay safe in the online world. 

This isn't a poker specific one - but an additional layer of security that you might consider. VPN refers to a Virtual Private Network and provides one of the excellent ways to keep your data secure and private, especially if you want to remain anonymous to your local service provider. Using a VPN encrypts your data ensuring that nobody with an ulterior motive can access it. It also hides where you are accessing from as your connection is shown as a server belonging to your VPN provider. There are a massive number of services available online that are easy to set up. 

 

It is discussed quite regularly within the poker community and is seen as a sensible step to keep yourself safe. This isn't a cheat to get round regulatory controls. We would advise that you check and follow the regulations of the city where you're located, with regards to its use, and also check the site's terms and conditions as to the use of a VPN.

 

Once you're set up you might want to try a popular online casino that allows you to play on a VPN - www.casimba.com who have a good range of casino games and a range of poker games.

 

A VPN is a good call if you have your private network. it makes it difficult for your IP address and location to be disclosed. 

People love free things - thats a fact. But this isn't one to take advantage of to keep in the game at all costs. As much as we all want to always be in the game, avoid using public Wi-Fi connections to connect to your poker accounts. These connections are not secured. One of the biggest threats with a public connection is the ability for a hacker to position themselves between you and the connection point. These networks can be malicious, unsafe, and should not be used for activities like online poker, electronic shopping, or banking - in fact, any activity that is expositing personal information.

 

Although some of these Wi-Fi networks may seem genuine, hackers can be on the prowl, monitoring these networks, or may even create one with free access so they can direct sensitive data to their devices and compromise them.

 

If you have to, thoroughly check these networks to ensure that the names are legit and that they also match with the establishment you think they may be their provider. Regardless, ensure that you don't enter the password of your online poker account on public Wi-fi because it could be to your detriment.

 

It's ideal to invest in a Wi-Fi device instead and so that you have maximum privacy and carry out your gaming with your network. This is ideal for poker players who are always on the go.

Two-step authentication entails entering a code that is usually sent as a text message to your phone, shown in an app, or on a physical token. This is in addition to the username and password that you would normally enter to access a site. 

 

It offers an extra layer of protection to online accounts and means you would only be able to access your accounts when you enter the right password / username combination AND the short randomly generated code that will be sent to you. It is a great way to add a higher level of security to your account. Even if your password is compromised, the hacker will not be able to access your poker / gaming account, as they won't have access to the second control layer.