CEREUS Network Ups Player Security

Virtually anyone that’s tried to sell anything online on sites like eBay or Craigslist has come in contact with the growing population of scammers that are determined to fleece online consumers of sensitive information that would allow them access to sensitive personal information including bank accounts and/or credit cards. Cash poker players have only recently realized that they, too, are at risk. This week, the CEREUS Network’s two flagship sites – UB and Absolute Poker – have responded to the increasing security threats by offering their members an additional layer of personal protection in the form of security tokens.

So how do the security tokens work? The security token technology is already in use at some other leading poker rooms, namely PokerStars and Full Tilt. Security tokens are actually small gadgets that contain unique codes which have been programmed into a user’s electronic account upon purchase of the token.

Some of the tokens – like the new ones being offered through the CEREUS Network – transmit the code electronically when the user pushes a button at the designated time. Other tokens – like the tokens used by PokerStars – display a code that the player enters manually. Only the person that possesses the physical token knows the codes, and the codes are changed frequently and simultaneously on both the device and on your account.

The new security tokens won’t replace a player’s login and password but will be used in conjunction with them. The downside to purchasing a security token is that once it’s been attached to your account you can’t login without it. Players that lose their security token can have the code removed from their account until a new token is acquired.

None of the sites currently offering the tokens, including UB and Absolute Poker, are offering them for free. Thus far, the tokens also can’t be purchased with cash. No, the two-part account authentication feature is only available to those players that earn it. By that we mean that thus far the security tokens are only offered through each poker room’s respective rewards store in exchange for several thousand points a piece.

The points-only availability of the tokens has been discouraging news for casual players that have been waiting for such a measure prior to converting to a cash account. Many industry insiders speculate, though, that as the technology becomes more widely accepted it will also become more accessible and will eventually be offered to attract security-conscious new members. Such tokens have been used by banks and other organizations dealing in highly sensitive information for years, and can already be purchased independently through manufacturers like RSA for that purpose.

Related Entries