Betfair / Paddy Power Hacked - What Should I Do?
Flutter Entertainment Confirms Hack
Flutter Entertainment confirmed last week that a "Data Incident" occurred at Paddy Power and Betfair sites, compromising the information of some 800,000 accounts.
Although they had initially confirmed that no passwords, Identification documents, or payment details were stolen in the attempt, they have asked users to be vigilant, as some personal information, including IP addresses, email addresses, and online activity data, has been accessed.
What You Can Do To Protect Yourself?
The thought of personal information being stolen by hackers from any website is the stuff of nightmares, but what should you do to mitigate any problems down the line?
Change Passwords:
The go-to for most issues. A quick change of your password is an easy way to boost the security of your betting account. If you feel your account may have been compromised, change the password on your betting app(s), e-wallet(s) and even your e-mail to double down on improving the security.
Two-Step Authentication:
Another way to boost security is two-step authentication. Banking and e-wallet apps offer this as a further protection by requiring a code sent to your phone to be entered onsite to verify your identity. Although commonly used for email accounts and banking apps, few bookmakers offer this service directly.
Change the Payment Method:
Although this may seem a more drastic option, users will rightly be concerned about having bank/debit card details sitting on bookmaker sites. It may be worth removing those and using a third-party, such as PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay, which offer protections against fraudulent transactions.
Be Aware Of Phishing:
Phishing is a widely used attempt to trick the recipient into responding directly to an email or clicking an unsafe link, leaving themselves open to the whims of a hacker or con artist. If you receive a suspicious email, message or call from your betting firm, chances are that this is a scam and should be avoided and reported to the betting site's customer support.
My Opinion
In recent months, hacking has been in the news a lot, with the attacks on Marks & Spencer among the more publicised stories of large companies being targeted.
This is not the first gambling operator targeted, nor the last. As much as we expect these companies to improve their security, users can take advantage of options to secure their details.
However, despite the natural concerns that many users have, there are ways to mitigate the risk, including those mentioned above.
In my job at BookiesBonuses.com, I have created many online bookmaker accounts, and I take advantage of every security measure I can to protect my data, so even if you only have one betting account, use the options available and protect your information at all costs.
