BC Online Casino Closed After Security Breach With Online Gambling
A state run online casino in British Columbia had to shut down the same day it was launched due to security issues. An investigation by the BC Information and Privacy Commissioner found that BC Lotteries did not take the necessary precautions to protect users' personal data on it's PlayNow.com gambling site. Hacker were able to access the data on thousands of customers, including names, addresses, and credit card numbers.
A number of security gaps in the website led to the issues, including an inadequate system to control malicious code, and personal data that was transmitted via unencrypted email. There were also many "data crossovers" that occurred which allowed players to view the personal information of other customers. The BCLC has implemented stricter security since the incident, but online gambling is known to be a target of organised crime groups that will exploit any security holes.