That small casino on the side of the highway has many of the same challenges that mega casinos next to the huge population centers have. But how do small casino IT departments stay operational and secure on budgets that are a tiny fraction of the overall spending plan? We recently began a project that made…
I recently wrote an article (June 19, 2024) detailing the importance of patch management related to cyber insurance premiums. Lo and behold, this thought of automated patch management related to updating risks to our systems was brought into question by a global outage, which was the result of a pseudo patch. So, the question becomes,…
In today’s vast digital landscape, cyber threats are around every corner and safeguarding the casino environment has never been more essential. One of the most crucial aspects in a defense strategy is patch management – the process of regularly updating software and hardware to mitigate vulnerabilities and enhance security. While still often overlooked, patch management…
Network security will always be more important than ever before. This statement will remain true regardless of when this topic is discussed. Security is consistently being tested; whether it be voluntarily via hired penetration testing, or not so voluntarily by bad actors, or “BADDIES” herein. Those of us who are trusted to implement and administer…
Network Access Control, or NAC, is the frontline defense in an ever-present battle in network security. NAC has been around for many years in the form of securing wireless SSIDs, but what about the gaming floor or the back of house locations? There is usually so much commotion that a malicious attempt to plug into…
With the downtime due to COVID-19, casinos and other properties have a unique opportunity, right now, to help find a cure; by utilizing the processing power of their data centers to get involved in something known as “folding@home.” Please see our article for a background on the project as well as important details for your…
As we work together through this troubling time, I wanted to take a look a little on a brighter side: For casino information technology, trying to get certain things complete can be very challenging inside a high pressure and secure 24/7 environment. Here is a list of some things we could be considering through the…
Time synchronization among network devices is important to consider when building out infrastructure, and not just within the datacenter; client endpoints, kiosk terminals, wireless controllers and associated access points, slot machine virtual bank controllers and their electronic gaming machines (EGMs, or slot machines), etc… All of these devices should be synced to the same time…
Casinos have to work with massive amounts of data; from patron & machine information to food & beverage inventory. The amount of reports, spreadsheets and data logs can be completely overwhelming. However, the culmination of all this data is critical as it reveals the fine details of operations and the overall success or failure of…
How Microsoft’s servicing channels affect gaming environments – Part 1 Windows 10 introduced a new delivery system for updating the desktop OS. All past editions of the windows desktop OS had a set kernel with security and feature patching during the lifecycle of the product. Windows 10 version 1511 debuted in July 2015 and has…