As a global sportsbook solutions provider, with a host of partners and their players, Altenar understands the value and need of keeping data secure and managed effectively, to help build a risk-free environment for the breadth of data held and handled by the sports betting solutions provider.
Data comes in many forms, and as a result, those handling and safeguarding this information have to be agile, swift, and forward-thinking when designing internal and external data protection models. This article will briefly outline how managing data can be achieved in a secure manner, with insights from Altenar’s Senior Security Engineer, Keith Barbara.
How does the infosec team ensure that Altenar is compliant?
‘Altenar holds gaming software licenses in various jurisdictions and needs to be compliant with different laws and regulations of different jurisdictions to provide its services. The information security team, together with the compliance team, keeps track of our obligations and ensures that our Information Security Management systems tackle all the requirements to be compliant. Throughout the year, we are subject to a number of internal and external audits, which ensure that we are in line with our compliance obligations. Moreover, Altenar is ISO 27001 compliant. This shows that the Information Security Management System employed by Altenar is adequate to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the information and Altenar’s commitment to Information Security.’
How does your team respond to any malicious incidents and how do you prepare the rest of Altenar’s teams to help in the prevention of incidents?
‘We have tools capable of detecting malicious activity and, in some cases, responding automatically. These tools are set up to monitor the different layers of our technological platform. Alerts generated by these tools are investigated thoroughly until we know whether the issue is a false positive or an actual incident. If a malicious incident is detected, we follow the information security incident response procedures to contain the damage, properly respond, and resolve the incident. To prepare the rest of Altenar’s teams, we carry out regular Security Awareness Training and we discuss risks with the appropriate stakeholders. Moreover, Altenar engages with external “white-hat hackers” to test whether its systems have any vulnerable spots.’
How does your team protect customer data?
‘To protect customer data, we follow a methodology revolving around people, processes, and technology. We train our people on the importance of how to protect our customer data. We have policies and processes in place to ensure that whatever we do is done in an agreed manner. Finally, there is technology. We put technological controls in place to ensure that the data of our customers is safeguarded properly, such as firewalls, encryption, access management controls, and endpoint security.’
Why was infosec in a sportsbook provider a point of interest for you?
‘To provide a solution at par with what Altenar provides, one needs to use the latest innovative solutions. Coming from an IT operations background and transitioning into an information security role, I was attracted to the technology powering a sportsbook environment. I wanted to combine my passion for information security with my passion for technology.’
What daily/weekly challenges do you and your team face and resolve?
‘The daily/weekly challenges we face are similar to the challenges other security teams encounter. In information security, one is always trying to balance security and usability. It is a fine line, but “too much” security usually comes at the detriment of user experience and agility, while lack of security puts the organization and ultimately the customer at risk. To manage this balance, at Altenar, the information security team is involved from the inception of an offering. This alleviates unnecessary delays, clarifies expectations, and ensures that security is baked into our solutions and not implemented as an afterthought.’
Any information you believe is key/important to being a part of an infosec team?
‘When people think of information security, usually they think of the technical angle of information security. However, information security is much broader. Besides the technical aspect, it requires knowledge of security frameworks and standards, risk management, compliance, and regulations. Moreover, being part of an information security team requires a combination of technical skills, soft skills, and an ongoing commitment to staying current with the ever-evolving threat landscape. Having a team of people coming from different backgrounds, each with a diverse set of skills, is key in having a strong information security team. I would also dare to say that Altenar has such a team.’
With this in mind, what is Intellectual Property and how does a company, like a sportsbook solutions provider, begin to navigate, handle, and protect intangible property for its partners?
Let’s take a look.
IP data refers to the information and records of legal ownership, IP assets like patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, and other IP like this, and can include information about the creation and maintenance of all of the aforementioned.
Ensuring the appropriate safeguarding of this type of data is crucial and can involve identifying, monitoring, and recording the assets to ensure no infringement or misuse has occurred, as well as ensuring that all the information is up-to-date.
There are several key factors that sportsbook solutions providers can take to ensure the safety of your IP data and its security. Let’s take a look…
Identify Intellectual Property Assets
To best identify your IP asset, and as a result, to better protect them, a company should understand what they do and don’t own, from patents to trademarks and everything in between. This is the best starting point for IP data protection.
Protect Your Intellectual Property
Protection is the first step to management when it comes to IP data, and this should include registering your intellectual property with the appropriate government body for your business and its operating locations, as well as making use of legal agreements like NDAs where appropriate.
Keep Records Of Your Intellectual Property
Keeping records is a key aspect of protecting your IP data and can include keeping track of the following: renewal data and registration certificates, as well as updating them when needed to reflect any potential changes that might have occurred.
Monitor Infringement
This step is crucial in managing IP data, and regularly monitoring and searching for your IP to ensure that it isn’t being used or distributed without your permission.
Train Employees
Making sure that your employees are educated on IP protection is a must and will help prevent the success of any malicious attacks.
Enforce Your Intellectual Property Rights
If, for any reason, it becomes apparent that your IP rights have been infringed, taking the appropriate legal action is a must to maintain the future safety and potential prevention of others trying to breach your rights.
If you’re looking to partner with a sportsbook solutions provider that is well adept in keeping your IP data secure and monitored, then contact Altenar today to begin your sportsbook journey the right way.
