How Crypto Casinos Handle Large-Scale DDoS Attacks
Cyberattacks have become one of the most serious threats to crypto gambling sites in recent years. A large portion of reputable online gambling sites have suffered from cyberattacks, with the vast majority of them experiencing so-called distributed denial-of-service attacks. So, for you to have more confidence in your crypto casino, let’s check out how the best sites safeguard themselves from such attacks.
How Do Crypto Casinos Identify a DDoS Attack?
It is important for crypto casinos to be able to identify if a DDoS attack is taking place, and thankfully, there are a few simple indicators that can help them do so:
- Sudden rise in traffic: As logic suggests, arguably the biggest signal that a DDoS attack occurs is the sudden rise in traffic compared to normal site visits. Since this traffic won’t come from a single IP address, it will be difficult to identify the source.
- Slow website performance: A DDoS attack can precede simply a slow website performance. The crypto casino’s punters can report long loading times, page timing outs, etc.—all of which show that the casino cannot cope with the current traffic.
- Server overload: Finally, a DDoS attack can make the casino’s server reach maximum capacity and ultimately crash. Then, genuine registered crypto casino players won’t be able to access the website.
Mechanisms Crypto Casinos Use to Prevent DDos Attacks
So, now that you know what DDoS attacks are, let’s take a look at how Bitcoin casino sites prevent them.
Timely Intervention
For the sake of argument, let’s say here that a DDoS attack occurs in a crypto casino. If the operator suspects that a DDoS attack is taking place, it will first contact its hosting provider, as they have vast experience and tools that can help the casino mitigate the damage from the attack. They can also help the casino intercept and protect itself from such attacks in the future.
Most hosting providers have 24/7 support for their partner crypto casinos, so as soon as they get all the details about the unusual traffic patterns and website performance issues, they will know exactly what to do.
Hosting providers also come with anti-DDoS protocols such as traffic filtering and rate limiting, as well as blacklisting of malicious IP addresses.
Using Content Delivery Networks
Let’s now closely examine the prevention mechanisms crypto casinos use that ensure a DDoS attack never takes place. First off, we have a CDN that helps sites distribute their content across different servers—in different locations around the world.
That way, a CDN can absorb big spikes in traffic and reduce the impact a potential DDoS attack can have by not allowing one single server to be overloaded.
Rate Limiting
Next, we can introduce to you rate limiting, which is a concept that allows blockchain gambling sites to limit the number of requests one single user can make within a certain period.
Logically, by setting limits on user requests, crypto casinos can prevent one IP address from overloading the server with too many requests, and thus this will inevitably reduce the effectiveness of a DDoS attack.
Web Application Firewalls
A Web Application Firewall (WAF) is the intermediary between the crypto casino’s website and the internet that can be used to screen the incoming traffic on the site.
So, WAFs will scan the traffic for suspicious patterns and block any requests before they even reach the casino’s server. That way, they can be used for protection against a wide range of cyberattacks, including DDoS.
IP Blacklisting
One of the best and quickest ways crypto casinos can identify malicious activities is through blocking IP addresses. Once the casino has an updated list of suspicious IP addresses, it will simply configure its firewall or DDoS protection service to block traffic from those addresses—that way, a DDoS attack will not even happen in the first place.
DDoS Protection Services
Crypto gambling sites can choose from a wide range of DDoS protection services, which will help them reduce the impact of an attack on their websites. These services are designed to detect and block malevolent activities before they can affect the operations of the casino.
Services such as Cloudflare, Akamai, and AWS Shield use a large number of servers all around the world to filter suspicious traffic. They will analyze patterns to make a clear distinction between legitimate casino players and cyber attackers. Moreover, their real-time monitoring and alerting functionalities can help casinos detect and respond to attacks.
Top-Notch Security Features to Provide You with Peace of Mind
All of the above-mentioned security practices and mechanisms are common among top-class crypto gambling sites such as Cryptorush Casino. They make it borderline impossible for DDoS attacks and will act as a shield that protects your personal data from unwanted third parties, so you are much safer than you might have even though!
FAQs
What are DDoS attacks?
A DDoS attack is a cybercrime where hackers generate big amounts of traffic to the crypto casino’s servers and overload them. That way, the casino won’t be able to process real traffic by registered punters and will lose site functionality.
Are DDoS attacks frequent?
Even though DDoS attacks are a bit of a threat to the online gambling industry, world-class crypto casinos use various DDoS Protection Services such as rate limiting and IP blacklisting, to prevent such attacks.
How do casinos know if a DDoS attack is taking place?
Well, simple indicators such as slow website loading and sudden spikes in website traffic can mean that a DDoS attack is taking place. However, with timely intervention and the above-mentioned protection services, the DDoS attack stands no chance.