PokerStars Now Offering SMS Security

PokerStars announced last week that it plans to offer a free SMS service for customers looking for extra security. No other site offers this service and PokerStars once again proves why it is the leader in the online poker industry, constantly adding new features to its software, security, and support.

Michael Josem, Head of Public Relations at PokerStars, released the following statement: “PokerStars is once again delivering on the importance of security for our customers. We were the first online poker operator to provide RSA Security Tokens and now the first online poker operator to offer this SMS security mechanism. The service is free to all players and adds an additional security mechanism to help PokerStars player accounts remain safe and secure against online threats.”

Using this free security service couldn't be easier. Players who want another level of security will first need to activate SMS validation within the PokerStars client. After this is completed, whenever PokerStars detects a potential irregularity with a customer's account, an SMS message is automatically sent with a code. The customer's account will be restricted from any real money transactions including depositing, cashing out, transferring funds, entering tournaments, and playing cash games until this code is entered in the PokerStars client.

Besides this excellent security feature, PokerStars has started allowing certain accounts to reset their passwords by SMS. The site feels this will allow players to more easily reset their passwords in a secure fashion.

As PokerStars does with many of its new features, it plans to first roll it out only to a few countries to make sure everything is functioning properly. After some time, this security feature will be rolled out wherever players can play on PokerStars for real money.

This feature also does not restrict a player from using an RSA Token, which PokerStars was also a pioneer in releasing years ago. There are a few other sites that have adopted this extra security feature, which is important for players keeping sizable balances online.

Players can only receive an RSA Token from the FPP Store; however, I highly recommend using this in coordination with the new SMS security feature. With the RSA token, after a customer logs into his client and enters his password, players are required to enter a four-digit pin as well as a random number from the Token. This makes hacking of a player's account almost impossible.

I expect a few other poker networks or skins to follow suit in SMS communications. PokerStars almost always leads the way in new features for its customers. I feel safe in keeping most of my online funds on PokerStars for this reason, as it appears more difficult to hack than my bank accounts.

If you are not already playing on PokerStars, I recommend that you check them out. You can download PokerStars through this link.

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