Pokershield - free poker OS

A new security tool to protect online poker players from the dangers associated with online gambling will soon be available free of charge to everyone.

The open source project is a collaborative effort between the news site pokerfuse and the consulting firm SENET International.

PokerShield is a Linux-based operating system that can be run from a CD, flash drive or installed on your computer's hard drive. The goal of SENET International's security professionals is to protect players from threats such as social engineering, phishing, keyloggers, the danger of a third party viewing your pocket cards, and other attempts to compromise your safety.

The portable version of the system is blocked from any changes to reduce the risk of installing malicious software, which is the most common security breach among online poker players.

"If users follow the security guidelines that come with PokerShield, they will significantly reduce the risk of attacks that online poker players typically face," said Gus Fritschy, Chief Technology Officer, SENET International.

PokerShield is based on a customized and secure Ubuntu Linux distribution with two built-in virtual machines: one highly secured strictly for playing poker, and the other for Internet access. Attacks on an insecure machine or on the main system will not compromise the security of the PokerShield poker section.

PokerShield is currently under development. When released, it will be a free and open source OS. You can track the development status on the developer's official website.