A data breach in a prize promotion can expose thousands of entrants overnight

Why competitions operators face specific data risk

Prize promotion platforms and online competition entry systems collect personal data at scale, often on tight timelines with temporary infrastructure. That combination — large data volumes, time pressure, and sometimes ad-hoc technical setups — creates a profile attackers find attractive. Entry form vulnerabilities, poorly secured admin panels, and weak email authentication are the most common attack paths we see.

GDPR obligations are significant. Entrant data must be collected lawfully, stored securely, used only for the stated purpose, and deleted within a defined retention period. Brands and agencies commissioning promotions increasingly require demonstrable data security controls from operators. Cyber Essentials provides a practical, recognised baseline and is a credible signal to commercial partners that your platforms can be trusted with their customers' data.

What we do for competition and prize promotion operators

• Cyber Essentials certification — demonstrates data security due diligence to brands, agencies, and legal partners commissioning promotions
• Entrant data audit — understand exactly what personal data you hold across live and completed promotions, where it lives, and who has access to it
• Web application security review — test the security of online entry forms, winner verification portals, and admin panels before they go live
• Email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) — prevent attackers spoofing your winner notification emails to harvest entrant details or redirect prize claims
• Promotion platform access controls — MFA, access logging, and admin controls across your competition tooling and entrant databases
• Incident response planning — clear steps if entrant data is compromised mid-promotion, including ICO notification and brand communication obligations

Start with your domain

Check your domain's email security in under 30 seconds. Our free passive scan reads your public DNS records — no sign-up, no scanning your network.

UK-registered cybersecurity specialists  ·  No vendor affiliation  ·  Priced for operators of all sizes