In an era where digital threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated, the iGaming industry faces a relentless battle against fraud and cyberattacks. To combat this evolving landscape, European Gaming recently spoke with Chris Blake, Director at Firesand, about their new product, Firesand Shield. This cutting-edge security solution has been developed to tackle the complex tactics of modern fraudsters and hackers head-on.

In this interview, Chris Blake provides an in-depth look at how Firesand Shield was created specifically to combat the rise of account fraud, explaining how these attacks are becoming more automated and stealthy. He details the product’s multi-layered approach that goes beyond traditional bot detection, integrating seamlessly with operator platforms while delivering powerful real-time intelligence. Blake also discusses how Firesand Shield not only protects against fraud but also helps operators meet stringent regulatory requirements in highly regulated markets. Finally, he shares his vision for the future, outlining how Firesand is committed to staying one step ahead of a constantly changing threat environment.

Firesand Shield was developed to combat the rise of account fraud within the iGaming industry. How are these attacks evolving, and what level of disruption are they causing?

Account fraud is becoming more sophisticated. Attackers now use highly automated ‘low and slow’ techniques that avoid detection by mimicking normal user behaviour, which allows them to evade detection, as well as exploit platforms at scale.

In another change, rather than brute force attacks on platforms, we’re seeing credential stuffing attacks powered by breached data and botnets. This is where nefarious actors will use stolen databases of known usernames and passwords to try and gain access to accounts.

The outcome of this is that these attacks can cause significant impacts on operators. Compromised accounts lead to chargebacks, bonus abuse, regulatory issues, and player attrition.

Firesand Shield was built specifically to address these challenges at the level the industry demands. It goes beyond standard bot detection by recognising behavioural indicators that traditional tools miss, using a multi-layered approach that combines analytics, reputation intelligence, and real time risk profiling.

Our proactive, intelligence-led defence ensures that operators have a significant advantage in preventing fraud, maintaining platform integrity, and crucially, preserves a seamless player experience.

How does Firesand Shield integrate with operator platforms and back ends to deliver a seamless solution? 

Integration can take part via two methods, that are both unobtrusive to the day-to-day activities of a platform. A classic API integration sees operators connect core user workflows, including login, registration, password reset, to Firesand via RESTful APIs. Firesand returns risk scores based on credential health, unusual behaviour, and IP location mismatches.

In addition, through both OAuth for enterprise SSO and simple username and password logins, we can facilitate access to a live dashboard provides visibility into login trends, potential attacks, and detailed metrics.

How can Firesand Shield help operators reduce regulatory risk, especially in highly regulated jurisdictions like the US, UK, or mature European markets?

Modern regulations demand active threat detection, prevention, and response, not just passive tools like firewalls or CAPTCHAs. There are demands now to prove you can detect, prevent, and respond to credential-based threats that potentially compromise platform integrity.

Firesand Shield supports this with real-time detection of threats, human-led attack identification, and unwanted actors.

As well as identifying potential threats, our built-in dashboards offer real-time reporting, instant access to logs and forensic data, and are created to ensure that all reports are audit-ready, with one-click data exports. This removes the operational burden of post-incident analysis, and allows operators to demonstrate control across their estate, satisfying regulators and clients alike.

It all aligns with best practices under various regulations, such as GDPR, gambling commission rules, and state-level cybersecurity legislation in the US. Firesand Shield is not just a fraud prevention tool, but a powerful compliance ally.

What kind of real-time fraud intelligence and threat response capabilities does Firesand Shield offer for operators managing large-scale player traffic during peak events?

Big sporting events, casino promotions, or game launches are prime targets for attackers. They use the surge in traffic as cover for credential stuffing, account takeovers, and bonus abuse. These aren’t just bot driven, but increasingly human-led or blended threats designed to bypass legacy defences.

Firesand Shield is built for high-volume, high-risk environments, delivering real time results under pressure, and automated mitigation at scale.

With traffic pattern monitoring that detects abnormal spikes in activity, or dynamic reputation scoring, where traffic from known malicious sources can be blocked, the product allows for real time decision making that assists operators. Firesand Shield goes beyond detection, allowing for immediate responses all controlled from our dashboard.

Even during peak events, Firesand Shield ensures system performance is unaffected while delivering the fraud protection and data required to protect players, satisfy regulators, and maintain operational integrity.

With an outlined roadmap of improvements to Firesand Shield, can security software keep pace with the ever-changing landscape of bot-driven fraud attacks?

Absolutely, and it must. The landscape of account fraud, particularly bot-driven attacks, is evolving faster than ever. Attackers continuously adapt, using more advanced automation, machine learning, and even human fraud farms to bypass traditional defences. Static, rules-based systems quickly become outdated. That is why Firesand Shield is built as a living platform with agility at its core.

Our development roadmap is shaped by continuous threat intelligence, client feedback, and industry trends. Upcoming enhancements include:

• Additional bot detection
• VPN detection
• Adaptive risk-scoring algorithms, tuned in real time to each operator’s unique traffic patterns
• Machine learning models that evolve as attacker tactics change
• Expanded breach intelligence feeds to flag compromised credentials faster
• Operator-led rule customisation, allowing real-time tuning without code or downtime
• User hygiene scoring, offering visibility into the health of player credentials across your platform

What makes Firesand Shield different is that it is not just reactive, but proactive and predictive. We’re not waiting for attackers to act. Instead, we are constantly learning from data across the iGaming ecosystem and pushing updates to stay ahead.

Built with regulatory frameworks in mind, we have strived to produce a solution that counters multiple pain points experienced across the industry that can have severe effects on operations if bad actors are successful with their intentions.

For operators and regulators alike, this means confidence that Firesand Shield is not just fit for today, but also ready for what’s next. Security software can and must keep pace, and our roadmap ensures that Firesand Shield leads that charge.