Useful ones include search bots, they automatically crawl sites and collect the necessary information about the structure and content of the site, which is then used by search engines to improve search results for the user.
Thanks to search bots, users can easily access information on the internet.
Malicious bots can be used to collect sensitive information, hack accounts, or perform DDoS attacks. By remaining anonymous, they can strengthen their attacks by capturing botnets containing compromised devices and computers that pose serious risks to Internet security and require constant monitoring and protection.
EdgeCenter experts explained in which situations bots can cause harm:
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This is, for example, the use of bots designed to look for Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) in order to attack websites and steal data.
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Malicious bots are also used to falsify user activity (views, comments) on a site in order to distort traffic data for site owners or advertisers.
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Brute force is another fraudulent use of bots to guess passwords or credentials in order to break into accounts.
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Ad fraud also occurs when bots click on ads on websites, generating fake views and clicks.
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Carding is also a form of bot abuse; Its essence is that bots automatically test stolen cards on websites, which can lead to illegal transactions.
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Malicious bots can analyze websites and copy not only content but also users’ confidential information and personal data.
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There are also so-called scalping purchases, where bots buy goods in online stores (without buying goods, only for a reserve) in order to create an artificial scarcity and increase the prices of certain goods.
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And the last type – bots are used for bulk purchases of goods, the quantity of which is limited, in order to sell such goods on the secondary market at inflated prices.
Edge Center also reminded that the number of “rogue” bots is increasing every year, thanks to the development of the Internet of Things (IoT) and access to powerful cloud resources.
According to EdgeCenter CEO Mikhail Shurygin, this is due to the insufficient number of laws to combat cybercrime.
Source: Ferra
I am a professional journalist and content creator with extensive experience writing for news websites. I currently work as an author at Gadget Onus, where I specialize in covering hot news topics. My written pieces have been published on some of the biggest media outlets around the world, including The Guardian and BBC News.
