Following the release of the National Indian Gaming Commission’s (NIGC) Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) report, Jerad Swimmer, Regional Sales Director at Continent 8 Technologies, provides a mid-year report on the state of tribal gaming in 2025.
On July 31, the NIGC published its annual GGR report, highlighting a record-setting $43.9 billion in revenue for FY 2024. This achievement reflects a 4.6% year-over-year increase, representing growth of $2 billion, with data collected from 532 gaming operations run by 243 federally recognized tribes across 29 states. In the NIGC press statement, Acting NIGC Chairwoman Sharon Avery remarked:
“This year’s GGR reflects not only the resilience of the tribal gaming industry, but also the dedication of tribal leadership in preserving and growing this important economic driver for their communities. The continued success of Indian gaming is a testament to the strong tribal governance and the sound regulation that protects the integrity of the industry.”
These figures emphasize the critical economic contribution of tribal gaming, supporting essential initiatives across employment, infrastructure, education and social services within tribal communities. Yet, as the tribal gaming industry’s financial impact continues to expand, so does its exposure to cyber threat actors aiming to benefit from this growth.
Over the past year, the industry has witnessed significant cyber incidents. In April of last year, a tribal casino was forced to suspend its operations following a cyber breach and advised patrons to monitor account activity for potential unauthorized access. In February of this year, one tribe experienced a ransomware attack that disrupted telecommunications and IT systems across multiple tribal entities, including casino operations.
During recent key industry events – including the OIGA Conference and Trade Show, the Indian Gaming Convention and Tradeshow (IGA) and the TribalHub Cybersecurity Summit – our team has also received direct reports of numerous cybersecurity incidents. These events have resulted in a range of financial, operational and reputational impacts for affected organizations. These forums have provided tribal casinos, gaming commissions and government bodies in Indian Country with valuable opportunities to share their cybersecurity challenges and engage with experts on effective threat mitigation strategies.
Given the ongoing and evolving cyber threat landscape, tribal gaming organizations must adopt a proactive cybersecurity posture – operating with an ‘assume breach’ mindset and prioritizing resilience. Robust measures are essential to safeguard infrastructure, player data, critical platforms and preserve tribal sovereignty. Recommended best practices for comprehensive cyber defense include:
As a trusted Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP), we partner with tribal gaming organizations – including Cherokee Tribal Gaming Commission (TGC), ShowNation, Tachi Palace Casino Resort – to foster a culture of cybersecurity awareness, strengthen organizational security posture and ensure long-term operational resiliency.
Continent 8 provides comprehensive, multi-layered threat prevention, detection and response solutions to secure your tribal organization’s digital assets in the face of evolving cyber threats. For more information on how Continent 8 can support your cybersecurity initiatives, email sales@continent.com or fill out our Contact Us page.
Also, be sure to listen back to our Tribal Talks: Cybersecurity Unlocked podcast series. Each episode delves into new stories, insights gained, best practices and key developments that are shaping the future of tribal casino gaming and cybersecurity.
Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT) service enables the independent gaming commission to test IT infrastructure for vulnerabilities
Continent 8 Technologies, the leading provider of managed hosting, connectivity, cloud and cybersecurity solutions for the tribal gaming industry, supports Cherokee Tribal Gaming Commission (TGC) with its proven Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT) services.
The Cherokee Tribal Gaming Commission is the independent tribal gaming regulatory authority established in 1993 under Chapter 16 of the Cherokee Code of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI).Charged with the duty to ensure fairness and integrity of the gaming activities within its facilities, the commission enlisted Continent 8, and its cybersecurity division, C8 Secure, to conduct pen testing.
The VAPT service provides a comprehensive security assessment of an organizations infrastructure and applications. Often mandated by regulation, it helps organizations measure the real-world effectiveness of their security controls and incident response capabilities. Additionally, the service provides actionable insights, including prioritized recommendations and industry best practices to address identified vulnerabilities and strengthen overall cybersecurity posture.
Emra Arkansas, Executive Director at Cherokee Tribal Gaming Commission said: We are sincerely grateful to Continent 8, especially Patrick Gardner, Anthony Engel and Jerad Swimmer, for their partnership and recognition of our ongoing cybersecurity initiatives. The Cherokee Tribal Gaming Commission remains firmly committed to protecting not only our critical infrastructure but also the sovereignty that underpins our regulatory authority. In an era of growing cyber threats, safeguarding Tribal IT systems is more than a technical priority, it is a sovereign responsibility. With Continent 8s trusted expertise, we are proud to set a higher standard for cybersecurity in Indian Country, ensuring our operations remain secure, resilient and self-determined.
Patrick Gardner, Chief Security Officer at Continent 8 said:In response to todays evolving cyber threat landscape, the Cherokee Tribal Gaming Commission is working to establish a new standard in cybersecurity and we are proud to support this important initiative. Their proactive efforts to safeguard critical infrastructure reflect a deep and ongoing investment in cybersecurity resilience.”
Jerad Swimmer, Regional Sales Director at Continent 8 added: “It was a pleasure collaborating with the Cherokee Tribal Gaming Commission in conducting a comprehensive evaluation of their IT infrastructure. Their team has shown a tremendous awareness of the escalating cybersecurity challenges within the tribal gaming sector. It is encouraging to see both enterprises and regulatory authorities actively enhancing their cybersecurity measures.”
For more information on how Continent 8 can support your cybersecurity initiatives or to schedule a no-obligation Cybersecurity Readiness Consultation, contact Regional Sales Director, Jerad Swimmer, at jerad.swimmer@continent8.com.
Continent 8’s Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing, Security Audit and Vulnerability Scan services enable Alea to further strengthen the security and resilience of its iGaming platform
Continent 8 Technologies, the leading provider of global managed hosting, connectivity, cloud and cybersecurity solutions for the iGaming and online sports betting industry, announces that it has expanded its cybersecurity collaboration with Alea.
Building on its current programme of Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT) services with Continent 8, Alea – the award-winning casino game aggregator – has deepened its partnership with Continent 8 and its cybersecurity division, C8 Secure, by integrating Security Audit and Vulnerability Scan (V-Scan) services. This strategic initiative further enhances Alea’s cybersecurity posture and underscores the company’s ongoing investment in the resilience and integrity of its infrastructure.
The expanded cybersecurity assessment programme delivers a wide range of benefits for Alea and its operator network, including:
Eduard Fumás, CTO at Alea: “Security is built into everything we do at Alea. We’ve always believed that operators and their players deserve the highest level of protection. This is why we’ve invested in strong encryption, fraud prevention tools and a robust infrastructure from day one.
“Working with Continent 8 has helped us put that commitment to the test. Their expertise allows us to validate and strengthen our systems with confidence. We’re proud of how far we’ve come together, and even more excited about what’s next as we keep raising the bar and building a platform that our partners can trust completely.”
Patrick Gardner, Chief Security Officer at Continent 8 added: “As Alea continues to grow and expand, its proactive commitment to maintaining a secure iGaming aggregator platform becomes paramount. In our ongoing collaboration with Alea, we remain dedicated to fostering and supporting their cybersecurity initiatives – ensuring that both Alea and its extensive partner ecosystem stay protected, resilient and prepared.”
Continent 8 will be exhibiting at SBC Summit Lisbon, from 16-18 September at Stand C80. To arrange a show meeting and explore best practices and strategies for advancing your organisation’s cybersecurity initiatives, email sales@continent.com or fill out our Contact Us page.
Jerad Swimmer, Regional Sales Director at Continent 8 Technologies, explores the benefits of a cybersecurity checklist to safeguard your tribal gaming operations against emerging cyber threats and attacks.
Safeguarding your business can be daunting, and you might be asking yourself ‘where do I begin?’ To address this, we have prepared a cybersecurity checklist to help you identify possible weaknesses.
First, let us set the scene with the current state of play and why you need to prioritize cybersecurity in today’s world.
The tribal gaming industry is a vibrant and vital part of many Native American communities, providing not only entertainment but also significant economic benefits. However, this industry is increasingly falling under the crosshairs of sophisticated cybercriminals. These bad actors aim to disrupt operations, steal sensitive patron data and extort ransom payments. The stakes are high, with the potential impact extending beyond the casino floors to tribal governments, health services and community trust.
Cyber threats in tribal gaming are diverse and evolving. For example, ransomware attacks have become more prevalent, demonstrating a devastating capacity to bring operations to a standstill. A recent notable incident involved a ransomware attack that compromised all internet servers and data, with the attackers demanding up to $500,000 to restore services. These incidents highlight the urgent need for comprehensive cybersecurity measures tailored to the unique environment of tribal casinos.
The consequences of a cyber attack on a tribal casino can be far-reaching. Beyond the immediate financial losses and operational disruptions, there is a profound impact on the trust and confidence of the community. Patrons expect their personal and financial information to be secure, and any breach can lead to a significant erosion of trust.
To effectively combat cyber threats, tribal casinos need to adopt a multi-faceted cybersecurity strategy. This involves not just technological solutions but also organizational practices and policies. The foundation of such a strategy includes:
Continent 8, supported by our dedicated cybersecurity company, C8 Secure, is a trusted partner for tribal nations and gaming enterprises. Our cybersecurity services are tailored to meet the unique needs of tribal governments, regulators and casino operators.
Our capabilities include:
We are trusted by a diverse array of tribal gaming casinos and organizations, including ShowNation, Tachi Palace Casino Resort, among others.
Don’t wait for an incident to discover whether you’re vulnerable. By taking these proactive steps, tribal casinos can fortify their defenses, ensuring uninterrupted operations and maintaining the trust of their communities.
Secure your tribal gaming operations by accessing this detailed checklist.
Continent 8 provides comprehensive, multi-layered threat prevention, detection and response solutions to secure your tribal organization’s digital assets in the face of evolving cyber threats. For more information on how Continent 8 can support your cybersecurity initiatives, email sales@continent.com or fill out our Contact Us page.
With the rapid evolution of technology, robust cybersecurity is vital for enterprises to protect sensitive information and systems from a range of cyber threats, including hacking, data breaches and malware attacks. As technology advances, so do the methods used by cyber criminals, necessitating the implementation of protective cybersecurity measures.
In this blog, Craig Lusher, Product Principal of Secure Solutions at Continent 8 Technologies, explores how Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) platforms and Security Operations Centres (SOCs) allow organisations to adapt to emerging threats, maintain a robust cybersecurity posture and meet regulatory compliance.
SIEM solutions consolidate security monitoring across an organisation’s diverse technology stack, enabling SOC engineers to detect and respond to threats through a unified management interface. SIEM solutions serve as the central hub of an organisation’s security system, collecting and normalising security logs and events from various IT sources including network devices, servers and security systems. They provide a central register for all security events and logs, performing event correlation, threat enrichment and analysis, filtering out informational events and promoting true security events and threats, helping organisations protect their systems from attacks and breaches.
A SOC, or Managed Security Operations Centre (MSOC), such as those offered by Continent 8 and C8 Secure, is a dedicated team that focuses on safeguarding the company’s systems from security threats. Utilising various tools, such as a SIEM system, they watch over the company’s computer systems, spot any problems or attacks and respond to them quickly. The SOC functions as a cybersecurity team, ensuring everything is running smoothly and securely.
SIEM systems are integral in SOC cybersecurity, offering SOC teams with a holistic view of their cybersecurity events.
To begin, the SIEM system correlates and analyses the aggregated security data from internal sources and external threat intelligence to identify any unusual or suspicious activities that could indicate a potential security issue. Upon detection, it promptly alerts the SOC team, enabling them to address the issue swiftly.
In the event of an incident, the SIEM system provides comprehensive information that assists SOC analysts in understanding the nature and severity of the threat. This insight aids in effective response and helps prevent future occurrences.
Additionally, SIEM systems support compliance efforts by generating reports and maintaining logs that demonstrate the organisation’s adherence to necessary regulations. These systems are indispensable for managing security incidents and events, facilitating efficient monitoring, detection and management of security challenges by SOC teams.
Operating a SOC without a SIEM system would be quite challenging. A SIEM system provides the centralised tool required to gather and interpret security data, which is crucial for effectively preventing, detecting, investigating and responding to threats. While a SOC might use other tools and methods, SIEM systems are integral for streamlining these processes and ensuring comprehensive cybersecurity management. SIEM systems employ advanced analytics and automation to filter and prioritise security alerts, preventing the cognitive overload, or alert fatigue, that occurs when SOC engineers manually process a constant barrage of security logs. This intelligent filtering not only reduces the risk of human error and missed security events but also optimises operational costs by allowing SOC engineers to focus their expertise on critical threat analysis and incident response rather than routine log review. The result is more efficient resource allocation and enhanced security effectiveness.
A successful SIEM and SOC strategy begins with defining clear objectives and goals for each system. Essential components of effective SIEM and SOC strategies include:
Continent 8 offers a comprehensive SIEM and Managed SOC solution that addresses critical cybersecurity challenges. This platform provides centralised visibility of your entire infrastructure, coupled with 24/7 expert monitoring and rapid threat detection and response, ensuring regulatory compliance while allowing maintaining a robust cybersecurity posture.
Our SIEM and MSOC solution consists of the following key service components:
Continent 8’s SIEM platform is a comprehensive, multi-tenant solution that gathers and correlates security data across a customer’s infrastructure. Enhanced by AI-driven SOAR and correlation capabilities with integrated threat intelligence tools, it delivers advanced analytics and automated incident response workflows. The platform is built for high performance, scalability and real-time threat detection, ensuring rapid identification and resolution of security incidents.
Continent 8’s MSOC solution is a fully managed, multi-tenant service offering real-time security monitoring and incident response for customers. Following the NIST framework, it leverages our sophisticated SIEM platform to collect and analyse security alerts, offering customers actionable insights and remediation strategies through tailored playbooks. By outsourcing security operations to Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) such as Continent 8, customers can focus on their core business while benefiting from the expertise of Continent 8’s 24/7/365 global SOC team.
Continent 8’s Sentinel managed device is deployed within the customer’s network, aggregating logs and events from various systems, normalising them and preparing the data for secure transmission to the SIEM. It utilises encryption to ensure data integrity and privacy, compressing and deduplicating data to optimise performance. Sentinel enhances security visibility by enabling seamless data collection and forwarding.
Continent 8’s Incident Response System integrates directly into Continent 8’s SIEM to streamline incident response processes. It provides a centralised platform for managing and tracking security incidents from detection to resolution, with built-in automation for workflows and playbooks. By enabling collaborative responses and providing real-time data sharing, it significantly improves incident resolution times while enhancing post-incident analysis and reporting.
Continent 8’s Cyber Threat Intelligence Service serves as a structured repository for aggregating, analysing and sharing cyber threat intelligence. It allows organisations to collect data on threats, actors and campaigns, helping security teams anticipate and mitigate potential attacks. Through its powerful visualisation tools, the service enhances situational awareness and enables proactive threat detection.
Continent 8’s Security Orchestration and Automated Response (SOAR) tool, implemented within Continent 8’s SIEM, provides a no-code automation platform for orchestrating and automating security workflows. Its drag-and-drop interface simplifies the creation of complex incident response processes, reducing manual effort and improving efficiency. With pre-built templates and over 2,000 app integrations, it enables quick deployment of automated responses, ensuring consistent handling of security incidents.
Continent 8’s Threat Analysers and Responders are automation tools integrated into Continent 8’s SIEM that enrich security events with threat intelligence from multiple sources. With over 100 analysers, they provide critical context for observables such as IPs and URLs, supporting faster decision-making during investigations. These tools enhance threat detection and response by simplifying data analysis and improving the quality of incident responses.
Continent 8’s Intrusion Detection System (IDS), combined with our proprietary Continent 8 Sentinel platform, provides advanced network security monitoring, threat detection and response capabilities, delivering unparalleled visibility and security throughout your entire network infrastructure.
SIEM and MSOC services deliver significant cybersecurity enhancements through real-time monitoring, detection and response. This proactive approach aids in the early identification and mitigation of threats by collecting, analysing and correlating data from across a customer’s network with other ongoing security events. Collaborating with MSSPs also guarantees access to a dedicated team of SIEM and MSOC specialists who work closely with your IT team, providing playbooks and optimal risk mitigation strategies to address specific exploits or vulnerabilities, thereby ensuring optimal cybersecurity posture.
Continent 8 provides comprehensive, multi-layered threat prevention, detection and response solutions to secure your organisation’s digital assets in the face of evolving cyber threats. For more information on how Continent 8 can support your cybersecurity initiatives, email sales@continent8.com or fill out our Contact Us page.
On May 2, 2024, the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA) and the Ministry of Finance (MF) issued Ordinance No. 722 (link here in Portuguese). This set of regulations outlines the essential technical and cybersecurity criteria that iGaming and online sports betting operators must adhere to within six months of obtaining their gaming licenses.
In her blog series, Luana Monje, Sales Executive at Continent 8 Technologies, examines the latest infrastructure, cloud, cybersecurity and regulatory developments for the newly regulated Brazilian iGaming and online sports betting market. In her first blog, Luana explored the Ordinance 722’s penetration testing requirement, and in this blog, she investigates the recovery and backup system, business continuity and disaster recovery plan and firewall protection requirements in full detail.
Ordinance 722, Annex IV, section 15 – Recovery: In the event of a catastrophic failure where the betting system, or any component or platform, cannot be reset in any other way, it must be possible to restore the system from the last backup point and fully recover it.
Ordinance 722, Annex IV, section 17 – Business continuity and disaster recovery plan: A business continuity policy and disaster recovery plan must be adopted to recover betting operations if the production environment of the betting system or any of its platforms becomes inoperable.
In the regulations outlined for iGaming and online sports betting in Brazil, robust recovery and business continuity mechanisms must be in place to ensure that, should a catastrophic failure occur, the operator or supplier can restore the betting system and fully recover from the last backup point.
Ordinance 722’s recovery section explains that such backups must encompass not only the recorded information but also extend to include location-specific details such as security configurations and user accounts. Furthermore, current system encryption keys and a comprehensive record of system parameters – whether modifications, reconfigurations, additions, merges, deletions, adjustments or changes to parameters – need to be meticulously maintained.
Meanwhile, Ordinance 722’s business continuity and disaster recovery section recommends that the plan comprise data storage methodologies to minimise losses, document the recovery procedures and provide a comprehensive recovery guide. Moreover, it should propose the process for resuming administrative operations post-recovery, tailored to the system’s operational context.
The Continent 8 solution: Our multi-pronged services approach offers operators and suppliers the optimal path to backup and business continuity in the event of an incident or disaster.
Ordinance 722, Annex IV, section 31 – Firewall: All communications, including remote access, must pass through at least one approved application-level firewall.
An effective firewall serves as the guardian of the network, meticulously scrutinising all incoming and outgoing communications to thwart unauthorised access and potential threats. Ordinance 722’s firewall communication suggests that the firewall be placed at the juncture of different security domains, ensuring that no alternative network path exists that could circumvent the firewall. Only essential applications related to the firewall’s operation are permitted to reside on the device, and access is restricted to a limited number of user accounts, primarily network or system administrators. These firewalls should analyse all incoming and outgoing communications, ensuring that only traffic from trusted network sources is permitted. Furthermore, stringent access controls, backed by the latest encryption protocols, safeguard remote interactions with the gaming platform.
The Continent 8 solution: Our Firewall service includes customisable IDS/IPS capabilities. When combined with our managed Security Operations Centre (SOC) service, IDS/IPS events are enriched with specific threat intelligence and ingested into our Security Incident and Event Management (SIEM) platform. Our SOC analysts can then deliver powerful insights into a customer’s current threat state and perimeter activities, providing detection, prevention and responses to known and emerging threats.
Recovery and business continuity plans, along with firewall protection, provide an excellent starting point for iGaming and online sports betting operators and suppliers launching operations in Brazil’s regulated gaming market. For end-to-end protection, we recommend operators and suppliers adopt a holistic risk mitigation approach. A complete, 360-degree defense strategy includes:
By referencing the SPA and MF’s Ordinance 722 policies and partnering with an experienced and trusted solutions provider like Continent 8, operators and suppliers can deploy multi-defense, multi-layer cybersecurity protection strategies for their iGaming and online sports betting platform. This approach enables them to comply with Brazil’s latest technical and cybersecurity regulations while demonstrating their commitment to providing secure and trustworthy gaming environments and experiences.
Continent 8 Technologies, the trusted managed hosting, connectivity, cloud and cybersecurity partner to the global iGaming and online sports betting industry for over 25 years, is live in every major regulated Latin American (LATAM) jurisdiction, including Brazil.
Operating out of the LATAM region since 2020, we offer operators and suppliers access to state-of-the-art data centres, connectivity to a global private network featuring 100+ locations across four continents and best-in-class managed and professional services to support the most demanding iGaming and online sports betting requirements.
Discover why Continent 8 is the go-to infrastructure and cybersecurity provider for leading LATAM operators and suppliers such as Betcris, Boldt, Bplay and Vibra Gaming, and learn how we ensure the seamless implementation of compliant and secure infrastructures so that your Brazilian gaming operations are live from day one.
For more information on how Continent 8 can support your organisation’s regulatory and cybersecurity requirements, visit www.continent8.com/br or contact Luana at luana.monje@continent8.com.