The Rise of Bots on the Internet: A Growing Threat to Consumers and Businesses

Nearly half of the internet traffic is generated by automated entities called bots, posing significant threats to consumers and businesses on the web. These malicious bots can be used to create phishing scams, damage brand reputations, and spread malware, resulting in serious implications for the victim.

According to Christoph C. Cemper, founder of AIPRM, an AI prompt engineering and management company, bots can help in creating phishing scams by gaining users’ trust and exploiting it for scammers. These scams can have serious implications for the victim, including financial loss, identity theft, and the spread of malware.

Unfortunately, this is not the only security threat posed by bots. They can also damage brand reputations, especially for brands and businesses with popular social media profiles and high engagement rates. By associating a brand with fraudulent and unethical practices, bots can tarnish a brand’s reputation and reduce consumer loyalty.

The Imperva 2024 Bad Bot Report notes that bad bot traffic levels have risen for the fifth consecutive year, indicating an alarming trend. The increase is partly driven by the increasing popularity of artificial intelligence (AI) and large learning models (LLMs).

In 2023, bad bots accounted for 32% of all internet traffic, according to Ken Dunham, director of the threat research unit at Qualys, a provider of cloud-based IT, security, and compliance solutions. "Once amassed by a threat actor, they can be weaponized," he said. "Bots have incredible resources and capabilities to perform anonymous, distributed, asynchronous attacks against targets of choice, such as brute force credential attacks, distributed denial of service attacks, vulnerability scans, attempted exploitation, and more."

Malicious bots can also target login portals, API endpoints, and public-facing systems, creating risks for organizations as the bad actors probe for weaknesses to find a way to gain access to the internal infrastructure and data. Without bot mitigation strategies, companies can be vulnerable to automated threats.

To mitigate threats from bad bots, experts recommend deploying multi-factor authentication, technological bot detection solutions, and monitoring traffic for anomalies. Blocking old user agents, utilizing Captchas, and limiting interactions, where possible, can also reduce success rates.

Furthermore, security awareness education and human risk management can ensure a healthy security culture and reduce the risk of a successful bot attack. By educating employees on bot-driven phishing and fraud attempts, organizations can prevent the spread of malware and protect their internal infrastructure and data.

The Alarming Trend of Bad Bot Traffic

The rise of bad bot traffic is a growing concern for consumers and businesses on the internet. According to the Imperva 2024 Bad Bot Report, bad bot traffic levels have risen for the fifth consecutive year, indicating an alarming trend. The increase is partly driven by the increasing popularity of artificial intelligence (AI) and large learning models (LLMs).

The Threats Posed by Bots

Bots can pose significant threats to consumers and businesses on the web. They can be used to create phishing scams, damage brand reputations, and spread malware, resulting in serious implications for the victim. According to Christoph C. Cemper, founder of AIPRM, bots can help in creating phishing scams by gaining users’ trust and exploiting it for scammers.

Mitigating Threats from Bad Bots

To mitigate threats from bad bots, experts recommend deploying multi-factor authentication, technological bot detection solutions, and monitoring traffic for anomalies. Blocking old user agents, utilizing Captchas, and limiting interactions, where possible, can also reduce success rates.

The Importance of Security Awareness Education

Security awareness education and human risk management can ensure a healthy security culture and reduce the risk of a successful bot attack. By educating employees on bot-driven phishing and fraud attempts, organizations can prevent the spread of malware and protect their internal infrastructure and data.

Conclusion

The rise of bad bot traffic is a growing concern for consumers and businesses on the internet. To mitigate threats from bad bots, experts recommend deploying multi-factor authentication, technological bot detection solutions, and monitoring traffic for anomalies. Security awareness education and human risk management can also ensure a healthy security culture and reduce the risk of a successful bot attack.