Privacy In A Tech-Driven World – What Is Internet Privacy?

Internet privacy is a term that all internet users should pay special attention to. It’s the right to have your personal privacy related to storage, provision of data to third parties, and the displaying of personal information via the Internet.

Privacy via the internet entails either Personally Identifying Information or non-personal information such as a visitor’s behaviour on a website. Personally Identifying information is any information that can be used to identify a person, like their age and physical address.

Levels Of Privacy

Would you consider posting your credit card numbers, bank account numbers, social security numbers, medical records and text messages on Facebook? More than likely your answer is a booming “No”! But sadly, when internet users are not careful, this is exactly what can happen. A hacker or another malicious actor could steal your information and post it publicly, despite your objection. The problem with privacy is that most internet users don’t see its value until they lose control of their personal information, and by then it’s too late.

Posting things on the web can be harmful and some information posted on the Internet is permanent, depending on the terms of service, and privacy policies of the online service. This can include comments written on blogs, pictures and Facebook. Once your information is online, it’s absorbed into cyberspace and anyone can potentially find it and access it. Some employers even use these methods to research a potential employee by seeing what their online behaviours are, and this could possibly affect the outcome of their success or failure in securing an employment.

Companies like Facebook and Google rely on collecting massive amounts of data about people and using it for convenience. They are the main advocates against privacy protection because their business models rely on collecting as much of your information as possible.

Privacy vs. Security – What’s the Difference?

Security and privacy don’t mean the same thing, although they are closely related. An online service can be secure but not at all private.

Privacy has more to do with your personal data being protected and free from being observed by other people. Control over who can access your data is an important consideration and you need to be able to control who can access your information

Security, on the other hand is related to protecting and keeping unwanted parties from accessing your information. So while privacy is more about keeping eyes off your personal data, security is about keeping your information private after it’s been collected.

Privacy In A Tech Driven World – How To Stay Protected

Data breaches, marketing companies tracking your every online click, shady people exploring the photos you share on social networks, and so the list continues. However, it’s not completely hopeless, you can have control of your privacy. Here’s how to improve your privacy online.

Use a VPN

VPNs or Virtual Private Networks are popular tools that can extend a private network across a public network meaning that users can send and receive data across shared or public networks and it would seem as if the computing devices were directly connected to a private network. VPN’s protects your identity by moving your internet connection to a different location so that you aren’t easily identifiable to websites that track you.

These days VPNs are very popular, but they were not originally created for the same reasons we use them. When VPN’s came onto the internet scene, they were a way to connect business networks together securely over the internet so that the users could access a business network from home. In very simple terms, a VPN connects your PC, smartphone, or tablet to another computer somewhere on the internet, and thus allows you to browse the internet using their internet connection, for example, you may use a VPN to access information in another country.

You can use a VPN to protect yourself from snooping in Wi-Fi hotspots and generally gain some anonymity online by hiding your true location. By combining a VPN with other privacy tools like passwords, you can take your privacy protection to an even higher level.

Create Strong Passwords

Your password is your first line of defense against hackers that might try and access your accounts. Protect yourself by using passwords that aren’t easily guessed and opt for passwords that are long and use a mixture of letters, numbers and symbols. Avoid using your name or any other information that people could easily guess.

Use Password Managers

Every service or website you log in to will need a secure password and it can be difficult to remember them all. A password managers can solve this problem for you as it assists in generating, storing and retrieving complex passwords in an encrypted database. If you’re looking for options, you can try KeePass, LastPass and Apple’s Keychain.

Enable Two-Factor Authentication

This simply means that you’ll have to use more than just a password to log into a site, for example a code sent to you via text message or email or any other type of data. There are different different ways in which someone can be authenticated using more than one authentication method. You’ll need to enter your user name and password and thereafter answer a question like your favourite pet’s name or your favourite holiday destination.

Secure Your Home Devices

While it’s very cool and trendy to turn down your air conditioning with the help of an app on your smartphone or use Alexa to order your pizza and check the weather. Make it your business to secure your entire home network starting with any internet-enabled voice assistants. Use a unique Wi-Fi password and with the help of a password manager, change the default name of connected devices and consider renaming your voice assistant.

Of course we can use all the innovative technology that surrounds us without compromising our privacy and security but by being aware of the risks and taking the necessary steps, we can enjoy all of the benefits of our tech driven world without the hassles of being hacked.

Online Casino Gaming – What Makes A Secure Casino?

Playing your favourite casino games online has become one of the most popular entertainment pastimes and more and more players look for secure casinos where their privacy is protected. But what makes an online casino safe to play at?

In order to play real money games at an online casino, you’ll need to part with sensitive banking data as well as personal information like your name, address and date of birth. A safe to play at online casino uses sophisticated technical security to ensure your data is completely protected. You may have heard of data encryption, it is a 128 or 256-bit encryption which will convert your personal and financial information into strings of unbreakable code. Encryption technology makes it difficult, if not impossible for a hacker to access the information in the database and this is crucial for an online casino that has personal and financial player information to keep safe. Always make sure the casino you join offers nothing less than 128-bit SSL data encryption as anything less will not offer you the security you need. So when you’re looking for a safe online casino where you can enjoy playing your favourite games, look for encryption by checking the top of your screen, it should say https in front of their website name. Online casinos with an SSL certificate means that you can safely hand over your financial details as the information is encrypted and the website is safe to play at. Basically a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) receives information between your pc and the casino and encrypts it so it cannot be hacked. Online casinos also use top notch computer security software to prevent an attack from viruses, spyware or malware.

Just take a look at our Casinos for yourself!

Privacy Policy

One of the first things you’ll need to look out for when you’re trying to determine just how legitimate and secure an online casino is will be the privacy policy. Every online casino must have a privacy policy clearly outlined on their site. Most online casinos offer it directly on their homepage somewhere near the bottom part of the page. Review this information and make sure you agree with it before you decide to download the casino software and register for a player account. Make absolutely sure the online casino is going to offer you the level of security you need and more importantly, will not sell your information to others.

Final Words

Your home security network is only as strong as its weakest link and today’s security might not be what is tomorrow’s, but by following a few simple guidelines will keep your personal and financial information safe and your identity private. Privacy is about shutting and locking our front door and learning to do so digitally is crucial when we use the internet with increasing regularity. Let’s face it, the internet touches so many parts of our lives these days and in it’s in our interest to do whatever it takes to keep our privacy in a tech driven world.

Employing all the above steps will help improve your protection while online and using a VPN and changing your password regularly and ensuring it’s complicated enough to not be hacked are good habits to adopt while surfing the world wide web.

How Secure Are Online Casinos?

With minimum deposite online casinos becoming more and more popular, and the gaming industry expanding its reach, one of the major concerns for players is in finding a reliable and trustworthy online casino. So, what makes a safe and secure casino site? There are a few factors that contribute to making an online casino safe and secure, like ensuring that all the casino games offered are fair and random for all and that the online casino protects their customers’ personal and banking details.

An online casino should also process their players’ deposits and withdrawals quickly and securely and last but not least, the casino should be certified, regulated and tested by an independent third-party auditor. When evaluating an online casino, players should always look for the licensing and legal information, usually found on the casino website itself. We look at some important features that make browsing at online casinos a very safe and secure gambling experience.

Terms and Conditions

The Terms and Conditions imposed by the casino outlines everything the player should know regarding the conditions for accepting the welcome bonus, promotions, free spins, wagering requirements and exclusions. Once you’ve accepted the terms there is no going back and most player complaints revolve around not having read and adhered to the requirements.

Online casinos have their Terms and Conditions clearly displayed on their website and usually on registration and sign up, the casino will ask you if you’ve read and understood them and your answer will be a simple click on a checkbox. Very few people actually go to the trouble of carefully reading the information they are agreeing to. We can’t stress enough how important it is to read all the information, even the small print, with great care.

Any contravention of the Terms and Conditions by the player, knowingly or unknowingly, may risk the casino cancelling your winnings, returning your deposit, or deactivating your account. Your deposit will always be yours, whether you accept the bonus offering or not and a fair online casino won’t impose unfair restrictions if you fail to take their promotional offers. If one of the casino’s rules is to void your winnings if you disregard their offers, find another casino, but either way, read and understand the casino’s promotional rules if you want to capitalise on bonuses, avoid unnecessary delays, and qualify for cancellations and refunds.

Licencing and Regulation

An online casino should always be licensed and regulated by reputable and respected authorities whose job it is to provide remote gambling licenses to online casino operators. Licenses are not issued easily, an online casino has to prove that they have the strictest standards of player protection in place. A license means that the casinos are closely monitored and regulated and strict standards are upheld. Always make sure the casino you choose to play at is licensed and regulated, there will always be a license displayed at the footer of the website.

Look for The Alderney Gambling Control Commission, The Gaming Commission of Malta, the Isle of Man Supervision Commission and The Gibraltar Gaming Commission and Authority. For British players, there’s the UK Gambling Commission, and like the others, only issues a license when a casino has proven that their games are fair, that player privacy is protected and that the company operates in a socially responsible manner.

Gaming Licenses

Before a casino can open its doors to the public it will have to undergo a rigorous process to prove they are above board and even after the license has been issued, the casino will be checked regularly by the state gaming board. They will look for all sorts of things including ensuring the software is bug free, checking that the games are fair for all, player complaints and player exclusion options. If the casino passes these regular checks, they keep their license but if they should fail, they can’t do business anymore. Check our list of reviewed and recommended casinos, we only recommend regulated and licensed online casinos.

Independent Testing of Games

Casino games are one of the most important factors of an online casino, but more importantly than that, the games must be fair and transparent. Long ago, in the time of the mechanical one arm bandit, players believed that it was possible to calculate the moment when a machine would give up a big win and it was also believed that casinos could adjust the results in their favour. These days however, gambling online has taken a leap forwards and technology has created a way to ensure that slot games are not only completely random, but fair for all.

The way symbols appear on the reels or where the little white ball falls on the Roulette wheel depends on combinations that are generated by a Random Number Generator (RNG). This is a mathematical algorithm that simulates randomness and creates a numerical sequence by an algorithm, generating transparency in games. We can be sure that a reputable online casino offers random casino games because the RNG are often tested by independent specialists to make sure that the results are truly random.

One of the leading testing agency is eCogra. Formed in 2003, eCogra, short for eCommerce Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance, is an independent regulatory body for the online gambling industry. Players familiar with the online industry recognize the eCogra logo found scattered throughout websites of top online casinos. This international authority on regulation focuses on fair gaming, player protection and responsible operator conduct.

Cutting-Edge Technical Security

In order to play real money games at an online casino, you will need to part with sensitive banking data as well as personal information like your name, address and date of birth. A safe and reputable online casino uses sophisticated technical security to ensure your data is completely protected. You may have heard of data encryption, it is a 128 or 256-bit encryption which will convert your personal and financial information into strings of unbreakable code. If you still doubt that online casinos are secure consider that banks use exactly this level of protection. So when you are looking for a safe online casino where you can enjoy playing your favourite games, look for encryption by checking the top of your screen, it should say https in front of their website name.

Online casinos with an SSL certificate means that you can safely hand over your financial details as the information is encrypted and the website is safe to play at. Basically a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) receives information between your pc and the casino and encrypts it so it cannot be hacked. Online casinos also use top notch computer security software to prevent an attack from viruses, spyware or malware.

Software providers

Online casinos are very dependent on the software provider they use. Since the games offered are not the property of the casino itself, the casino’s success largely depends on the software companies they join forces with. Industry leaders like NetEnt, Playtech, Microgaming and many others, are also tested by independent third party auditing systems that are obliged to prove that the software is fair and safe for the players.

Security issues are top priority for software developers and by implementing cutting edge technology, these companies are able to use well secured connections for online casino customers. They use the latest sophisticated technologies like 128 and 256-bit SSL certificates, anti–DDoS methods, AES encryption, and programmes for data loss prevention.

Mobile Gambling Security

Online gambling with your smartphone or tablet has proved to be harder for hackers to infiltrate but there are still some things to know before using your smartphone or tablet to gamble online. The same encryption standards that apply to online gambling via a desktop should be used through a mobile app. It’s always wise to check that those same protocols are in place and that the app has been licensed by an outside authority. One key point to remember, especially with mobile gaming, is to avoid insecure internet connections like wifi in public places, as they are a very easy way for hackers to lift your personal information

Look for online casinos with a range of deposit options

When it comes to safety at online casinos, it’s not just a secure platform that is important. Banking online had always been seen with suspicion, but today, thanks to the improvements made by online money transfer companies, it’s become one of the safest, quickest and easiest ways of transferring funds. To make a deposit at an online casino to play real money casino games from the comfort of your home, there are a large variety of methods that can be used. Gone are the days when we had to go to the bank and stand in long queues just to transfer funds to your casino of choice.

Nowadays online banking methods widely accepted include not only the major credit and debit cards, but also eWallets like PayPal, Skrill, and Neteller and a host of other payment facilities like PaysafeCard and Entropay. A great online casino will always offer a large variety of deposit options. If the casino you want to play at only accepts cash or has a lack of deposit options, let those alarm bells ring, and maybe, look for another casino.

When it comes to finding a great, safe and secure online casino, and handing over sensitive information, you can’t leave anything to chance. We identify, review and publish the safest casinos for you to play at without worrying about security. Come back and visit our pages for the best casinos offering fantastic welcome packages, top promotions and of course, secure fun and exciting slots and casino games.

Bitcoin Casinos – How Safe Are They?

Some industry watchers believed Bitcoin and online casinos are a match made in heaven; the reason at a closer look is not far-fetched.

You see, the gambling industry has struggled for a long time to get rid of a long history smeared in bad rep and publicity. And players over time have learned to seek out discreet, secure and safe gaming houses to satisfy their itch.

So, it is not surprising that the gaming industry was the first couple of businesses to adopt Bitcoin and its underlying Blockchain technology in their operation.

Now with several casinos running on Blockchain technology players can be safe in the knowledge that their personal information, transaction histories, and banking details are secure, encrypted, and anonymous.

What is a bitcoin casino?

These are new generation online casinos that rely on Blockchain technology and cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin to handle deposits and withdrawal on their platform.

In other words, the player has to fund their account using digital currency and also withdraw their winnings as a cryptocurrency. No need for fiat currencies, no need for financial houses.

This obviously benefits both the operator and gamer. One of such benefits is the elimination of transaction fees.

Now, for online casino operators using traditional payment platforms, they often pay a transaction fee for each transaction conducted on their system; these extra charges are often shifted to the final gamers.

Compare that to the Bitcoin casinos with little to no transaction fees. The operator can offer more enticing mouthwatering perks like improved welcome bonuses, side freebies, and the player doesn’t have to pay any transaction fees too.

Another attractive feature of a bitcoin casino is the opportunity for anonymity. You see, when a player decides to enjoy a game on conventional online casinos, they are often required to fill in personal details like banking information, names, contact addresses, and perhaps other personal identification information.

That’s not the case playing a bitcoin casino; you are only required to provide an email address that way your privacy is protected.

That said it is essential to note that you’re likely to encounter any of these three types of bitcoin casinos online.

One, there’s the full bitcoin casinos – these allow you to play anonymously with Bitcoin as currency only. They don’t have options for other payment methods.

Then, there are the hybrid online casinos – these lists bitcoin as one of the payment options available. You can deposit, play, and withdraw using the digital currency.

Finally, there are the online casinos that accept bitcoin deposits then convert it to fiat currencies to play with. They don’t support Bitcoin withdrawal.

But, how does bitcoin casinos work?

Just like traditional casinos, a bitcoin(BTC) powered casino needs a system to handle and process its transaction; and a medium to accept deposits.

However, instead of the regular fiat currencies – think: dollar, Euro, Yen, pounds, get the idea? The platform uses digital money but in this case, Bitcoin.

Also, most bitcoin casinos, especially for those with a large user base, operate the self-developed software. These programs manage and run the game, even taking on the role of dealers for all-human games.

Are they safe?

Be rest assured, your private information is safe and also your activities are anonymous. However, concerns exist about whether bitcoin casinos are fair or not; this arises from the fact that both the operators and users are anonymous and can hardly be tracked.

To address the challenge of fairness, build trust and show transparency, most of these operators publish how their algorithm works and how the random number generator operates – this way anyone that cares can run a check on the website.

In conclusion

Digital currencies have come to stay, and with the rave for foolproof security measures online, businesses including online casinos will have no choice but to adopt or integrate the technology with their platform.

For players searching for a bit more discretion, Bitcoin casinos offer the best option

If you aren’t fully convinced with Bitcoin as a method you want to use take a look at our other casino payment options here.

Gibraltar now welcomes cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin within its jurisdiction. The start of the year has seen the regulation, which serves as a protective means designed to provide insulation against organisations that take cryptocurrency, come into effect.
The regulation has given rise to new hope for optimised global regulation and is set to promote the well-being of online companies, especially in the online gambling sector where more and more online casinos are using blockchain-supported cryptocurrency transactions for deposits and payouts.

Reputation Protection and Blockchain

Gibraltar’s reputation and, of course, crypto customers alike are priorities of the new regulation protection. The regulations very clearly insist on companies storing and transmitting value that is to be licensed by the Financial Services Commission (GFSC).

How the Licensing System Works

Gibraltar’s very first cryptocurrency regulation has been dubbed the Digital Ledger Technology (DTL) Regulatory Framework. The regulation is intended to create acceptance of cryptocurrency and Bitcoin and not a blatant protective intervention. The DLT Framework is supposed to lay down the stepping stones for further cryptocurrency sector legislation in an area that holds online gambling and financial services as the pillars of a relatively shielded economy.

What’s Expected of Organisations?

The new regulations clearly call for all DLT providers to communicate with customers plainly and fairly. This means complete transparency is mandatory in an effort to respect the fears and risks that businesses and customers alike display when new licenses come into play.
What’s more, crypto-licensed companies will now have to be proactive in the protection of client money and assets.

Why Gibraltar?

Gibraltar seems to be the perfect domain in which to explore cryptocurrency regulation models. The jurisdiction’s legal system is vehemently independent of the UK. Now, we know that Gibraltar has a long history of pioneering economic priorities and unique government policies.
With this in mind, there’s no doubt Gibraltar is a haven for determined online casinos and online sports betting companies thanks to enticing corporate tax incentives and rather lax regulations aimed at encouraging innovation and growth.

What Does This Mean for Online Gamblers?

Gibraltar isn’t just some gorgeous destination, it boasts an incredibly flexible taxation system. Considering its close relationship with the UK, it’s one of the most forgiving systems in terms of gambling. That’s why it’s a haven for crypto investors from around the world.
In short, that means a great many funds in crypto-casinos and even better payouts. Just like Malta, Gibraltar is actively introducing its new crypto regulation that will render Bitcoin that much safer, along with crypto wallets, cryptoATMS and a ton of other exciting initiatives.
We’ve already seen how Bitcoin has taken the world by storm. This means heaps of money for those people smart enough to jump on the bandwagon early enough. If you’re just getting ready to jump on that Bitcoin bandwagon, it’s exciting that Gibraltar, and the online world of gambling, has your back. Now that you have all the information take a look at our review of one of the only casinos to already accept cryptocurrency Bitstarz.