To address the growing threat to the cyber security of tribal casinos and enterprises, TribalHub will host a one-day virtual summit on Sept. 23 for tribes to protect themselves against the wave of attacks.
The summit comes ahead of the TribalNet Conference & Tradeshow, which will be held Nov. 8 to 11 at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in suburban Dallas-Fort Worth. Registration has begun for the 22nd annual four-day conference that was held virtually in 2020.
The cybersecurity summit is free and open to tribal organizations and enterprises, executive-level decision makers, and technology leaders. It comes as the threat is becoming more serious; the National Indian Gaming Commission revealed in July that cyber attacks have risen 1,000% since 2019.
Mike Day, founder and CEO of TribalHub, which brings together tribes and resources, said, “We’re in the middle of a wave of increased cyber attacks that are knocking on, knocking down, and even temporarily closing the doors of tribal governments and their enterprises nationwide. It’s our responsibility and place in the tribal community to inform and arm tribes with the best practices, tools, education, resources, and connections to enhance their cybersecurity posture.”
The summit is built around core topics, offering learning opportunities and resources available to tribes to increase their cyber security. Agenda topics include “Ransomware — A Real-Life Cradle-to-Grave Tribal Story,” “Executive Level — Demystifying Complexities of Cybersecurity,” and “How Much Should My Tribe or Enterprise Be Investing in Cybersecurity and Security Solutions?”
Participants can expect to learn about costly information-security mistakes to avoid and to hear from other tribes on what they’re doing to improve their security, Day said. It’s not a high-tech conference, but instead is geared for the executive level.
“A lot more cyber-security threats and ransomware have been doing some damage to the gaming and hospitality industry that have a big effect on tribal casinos and gaming, as well as their entire organizations,” Day said. “We’re trying to take a day here to not only speak to the technology and cybersecurity resources at a tribe, but also to non-technical executives of the tribe who are tasked with understanding what their part is in protecting the organization — people trying to get their arms around how best to do that and be prepared. They read the news and wonder what they can do and should be doing.”
Day said not every cyber attack is publicly reported. Many are kept under wraps to protect the operation. There’s a lot more going on than people are seeing.
“One thing no one wants to do when they have a cyber-security issue is to broadcast it,” Day said. “If a group of people came in with weapons and attacked a casino, it wouldn’t be embarrassing to say that they were attacked, because that can happen to anybody. For some reason with cyber stuff, there’s this: We don’t want it out there, because it makes us look bad. Cyber still seems to have a stigma, but you’re not going to stop by one hundred percent nation-states and other people trying to get into your organization. One of the best things you can do to protect the industry is to talk about it, so other people can see how they can protect themselves and not let this happen again.”
Hackers try to disrupt business and steal customer information, including credit cards and other sensitive or valuable data. Some want to hold it for ransom or just try to cause havoc and create damage, Day said. “They’re just out to make a buck without regard for anyone or anything.”
The summit will be held on September 23, 2021, and will run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pacific. More information and registration information can be found here.
The in-person Tribalnet Conference will take place November 8-11. Topics include cashless technology; technology in rooms; gaming and hospitality during the pandemic; touchless technology in gaming; human-resource challenges in gaming; preparing for sports betting; and online gaming.
“We’re excited about putting it together and having it on site in Texas,” Day said. “Just about everybody we talk to can’t wait to be back in person. All of the exhibitors want to be there; they understand the importance of building relationships and having a chance to talk to people and deal with the Zoom fatigue we all have.”
Most of the exhibitors are gaming-technology and system related and cover everything from cages and online gaming to sportsbooks and hotel systems, including in-room technology. The big technology companies continue to be supporters of TribalNet.
Day said the conference will follow all of the COVID-19 guidelines in place in Texas and best practices at the time.
Early-bird registration for the TribalNet Conference starts at $695 for TribalHub members, $200 less than for non-members. The rates will increase by $100 on Oct. 1. For information and to register, visit tribalnetconference.com.
