Regional Sales Director tasked with fostering existing customer relationships and driving sales growth
Continent 8 Technologies, the award-winning provider of managed hosting, connectivity, cloud and security solutions to the global online gambling industry, continues to drive growth with the appointment of Khaled El-Din as Regional Sales Director.
Based in the UK, Khaled joins Continent 8’s global sales team as it continues to enter new regulated markets around the world, a move that is increasing its addressable audience and customer base.
Khaled is a highly experienced sales specialist and joins the global IT business from swcomms where he was Sales Manager. He has also held sales roles at Solar Communications and Chartered Developments. His knowledge of infrastructure, connectivity and hosting solutions, plus his experience working with large organisations to determine their needs and creating bespoke solutions for them, makes him perfectly suited to Continent 8.
In his new role, he has been tasked with managing and amplifying existing customer relationships, as well as supporting the overall sales division with driving new revenue growth across core regulated markets including Europe and the Americas.
Nick Nally, Chief Revenue Officer at Continent 8 Technologies, said: “Khaled is a fantastic addition to our global sales team, and we look forward to benefiting from his experience, skills, and commitment to customer satisfaction, as we look to better support existing customers and connect with new ones.
“With Khaled in the team, we can keep driving awareness of our solutions and services among those not currently working with Continent 8, whilst doubling down on the support we provide to those that are.”
Khaled El-Din, Regional Sales Director at Continent 8 Technologies, added: “This is a very exciting time to be joining Continent 8 as demand for its managed hosting, connectivity, cloud and security solutions is on the rise.
“Continent 8 works with many of the biggest names in the industry, and it’s an honour to be working closely with the team, as well as an impressive collection of customers that trust in our solutions and our people. I am looking forward to playing a part in helping operators and suppliers access the infrastructure they need to succeed as the gambling market continues to grow at pace, globally.”
Operators and suppliers will gain immediate access to industry leading managed hosting, global connectivity and cybersecurity services and solutions
Continent 8 Technologies, the leading technology solutions provider for the online sports betting and iGaming industry, is set to cut the ribbon on a Curaçao data centre footprint next month.
The strategic site expansion comes on the heels of numerous transformation initiatives set out by the Curaçao Gaming Control Board, including revising the licensing procedure for operators on the island.
Existing and future operators and suppliers will now be able to access Continent 8’s full range of services and solutions via the Curaçao site including direct connectivity to its unique network of over 100 locations across four continents, protection through its muti-layered cybersecurity offering and best-in-class managed hosting solutions.
Customers will be supported out of the most advanced multi-tenant Tier-IV data center in the Pan-Caribbean region, run to the highest technical and operational standards.
Continent 8 continues to drive its global expansion and strategic initiatives in Latin America and the Caribbean with four sites currently open and numerous additional locations planned for the coming year.
Michael Tobin, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Continent 8 Technologies, said: “We have been powering operators and suppliers in regulated jurisdictions for 25 years, providing compliant hosting solutions, globally. Thanks to our experience, regulatory knowledge, and market-leading solutions, we have become the trusted infrastructure partner to the industry.
“Our move into Curaçao comes at a time when operators and suppliers need infrastructure solutions they can rely on, and this is exactly what we have built our name and reputation on.”
Nick Nally, Chief Revenue Officer at Continent 8 Technologies, added: “We pride ourselves on our agility and ability to provide solutions to customers, quickly. We realised an opportunity and we had to move fast to ensure operators have the very best hosting solutions.
“With the changes being made in Curaçao with regards to online gambling licences, strengthening the application process to attract a wider range of operators, those looking to seek a licence can be assured that they can capitalise on leading services and solutions from Continent 8.”
Craig Lusher from our product team reviews the latest attack data with the intensity of attacks peaking in July and with one customer being hit 98 times over the three-month period
The third quarter of 2023 saw a significant reduction in DDoS attacks launched against Continent 8 customers.
The total number of attacks hit 359 during the period, down from 1,106 in Q2 where there was a continuation of the tumultuous adverse events that marked December 2022 with a well-orchestrated campaign that coincided with the World Cup and the festive holidays.
This saw Continent 8 defend 3,367 separate DDoS in the fourth quarter of 2022 alone.
In the third quarter of 2023, the intensity of attacks peaked in July with 195 separate incidents recorded. This was followed by August with 112 and September with 52. Over the three months, 24 unique customers were attacked making it a widespread issue rather than being isolated to a few customers.
On average, each customer faced 15 attacks in Q3, but one customer was subject to 98 attacks indicating a targeted effort and underscoring the need for all organisations to have specialised protective measures in place.
When it comes to the characteristics of attacks, there was great cause for concern with the largest attack hitting a staggering 149.7Gbps which could potentially cripple the most robust networks. The average size of attack was 2.27Gbps – manageable but not negligible.
The highest Peak Packets Per Second (PPS) recorded was 14.6 Mpps, and while this was substantially down on the 317 Mpps recorded in May 2023, it still indicates the scale of some of the attacks launched against Continent 8 customers during the quarter.
This highlights the importance of considering not just the throughput but also the volume of Packets Per Second because even low throughput attacks could involve millions of packets per second, threatening network equipment rather than just internet bandwidth.
This is why it’s vital to take a multi-layered approach to cybersecurity so that systems, networks and data are properly protected from different types of attack at a time when the volume and length of attacks remain high.
One customer was subject to an attack lasting more than 20 hours – so close to a full day. This shows the persistence of attackers. That said, the average attack duration during Q3 was 0.76 hours which comes to about 45 minutes.
This suggests most attacks were aiming for quick disruptions rather than prolonged engagement. Again, this is different to the previous quarter where the longest attack lasted an astounding 800 hours.
Interestingly, there were no attacks exceeding 1 Tbps, but there were four attacks exceeding 100 Gbps and four more in the range of 10-100Gbps. The majority of attacks – 350 altogether – were under 10 Gbps. This compares to a peak attack size of 560 Gbps in Q2.
When it comes to repeat attacks, 10 customers were hit for a second time in a 24-hour period – interestingly, in Q2 there were no instances of customers suffering repeat attacks within 24 hours – so this marks the return of attackers going after the same target multiple times.
The stats for the period from 1 July 2023 to 30 September 2023 relate to our customers based in different locations around the world. Key highlights include:
This quarter’s results show that attack tactics have changed once again with attack size reducing but with significant Packets Per Second being delivered via attacks.
This means that the threat has changed somewhat from earlier in the year – ensuring internet bandwidth is always vital but now more than ever organisations need to protect their network equipment and systems.
There has been a lot of discussion around the changing cyber threat landscape, but this quarter’s stats show that action is crucial if organisations are to ensure resilience and mitigate an attack which is now a case of when and not if.
Our solution continues to evolve and in recent months we have amplified our scrubbing capacity to 2.5+Tbps, as well as increased our scrubbing centres geographically deployed across multiple continents. Locations include Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Miami, London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Singapore, Hong Kong and Sao Paulo.
Our proven platform is one you can rely on with a capacity only matched by the largest DDoS providers on the planet. Learn more about our DDoS solutions here or contact Craig via craig.lusher@continent8.com
The Latin American (LATAM) region has rapidly emerged as an enticing frontier in the global iGaming market. Its immense potential, unique characteristics, and dynamic nature make it a rich opportunity for operators and providers looking to expand their horizons.
In a recent webinar moderated by Anna McChesney, Senior Marketing Manager for Continent 8 Technologies, Gabriel Szlaifsztein, Regional Sales Director for LATAM (Continent 8) and Marcelo Blanco, CTO at Vibra Gaming (a Continent 8 customer), explored what the opportunity is for operators and suppliers in the region and how to develop a strategy for growth across this emerging market.
They also addressed the current and future regulatory landscape, the importance of cybersecurity, cultural nuances, infrastructure requirements and the influence of socioeconomic factors affecting player habits. Marcelo provided deeper insight into the key challenges and opportunities when setting up regional operations through his customer case study and talked enthusiastically about how “opportunity beckons.”
The LATAM region is often hailed as one of the most promising emerging markets in the iGaming sector. Its vast, untapped population of over 670 million, the proliferation of mobile devices, and an increasing appetite for online entertainment create a perfect storm for growth. The region is ripe for innovation and investment, attracting global players who recognize the potential of this exciting market.
The regulatory landscape in LATAM varies significantly from one country to another. Some countries have embraced iGaming and enacted favourable legislation, while others are still navigating the complexities of regulation. It’s imperative for operators and providers to closely monitor and adapt to the evolving legal framework in each jurisdiction they operate in. In our webinar, Gabriel explains the growing acceptance and adoption of regulation and provides a detailed, country-by-country overview of gambling activity and licensing requirements across the region.
LATAM is a tapestry of diverse cultures, languages, and traditions. Understanding the cultural nuances of each nation is pivotal for iGaming success. Tailoring strategies and customising offerings to resonate with local markets in each country, from content and marketing to user experience, is a key consideration in the region. The flexibility required to create a “unique look and feel” for different products is crucial.
“There is a huge diversity of devices and connectivity across Latin America. We need to provide different content for different markets in order to provide the right solution. Each audience has a particular taste, and we must accommodate that.” – Marcelo Blanco, CTO, Vibra Gaming.
Sports hold a special place in the hearts of many LATAM residents. Football, in particular, reigns supreme, and sports betting enjoys immense popularity. Boxing, basketball and baseball also attract a lot of interest. There has been an explosion in online gaming and sports betting in the LATAM region, which has risen sharply since the pandemic. There were 383 million registered mobile internet users in 2022, with the highest numbers in Brazil and Mexico. The intertwining of sports betting and iGaming presents a unique opportunity for providers to engage a passionate audience.
As the LATAM iGaming market evolves, embracing technological advancements becomes vital. Infrastructure and cybersecurity take centre stage to protect sensitive data, ensure fair play, and maintain uninterrupted services. There are 135 data centres across the region, all very well distributed. Continent 8 has established certified operations in Colombia, as well as Peru and Puerto Rico.
“The right data centre for operations in LATAM is a combination of technical capacity, latency and regulatory aspects in the target market.” – Gabriel Szlaifsztein, Regional Sales Director (LATAM), Continent 8.
Cyber threats are on the rise. According to a recent cybersecurity report by Fortinet, there were 137 billion registered cyber attack attempts in Latin America during the first half of 2022, the main attack vectors being ransomware and DDoS. Mexico saw the highest number of cyber attacks, followed by Brazil and Columbia. This makes the role of cybersecurity paramount for the industry’s integrity and a critical investment for operators and suppliers.
Local partnerships and collaborations are crucial to navigating the intricacies of the LATAM iGaming sector. Understanding local business practices, forming solid relationships with local entities, and complying with regulatory requirements are integral to long-term success. Marcelo talks about the importance of being prepared and describes how having a strong partner in Continent 8 was critical to Vibra Gaming’s journey when setting up infrastructure in regulated markets.
The LATAM iGaming market is a treasure chest of opportunity for operators and providers with the vision to tap into its potential. While navigating the complexities of regulation, understanding cultural diversity, and embracing technological advancements, industry players can position themselves to thrive in this dynamic and evolving landscape.
In the final part of the webinar, Gabriel and Marcelo discussed their predictions for the industry and the region for the next 5 years. These included greater coverage for regulated markets, a level-up in disruptive and emerging technologies and the development of a new breed of players as the market matures.
Interested in learning more about developing a strategy for growth in the LATAM region? Contact Continent 8 today and book your free 1-hour consultation with our experts.