Internet is not only the use that users give when entering a page, using a social network or doing a Google search. In fact, there are areas of the Internet that are not accessible to traditional search engines. But in addition, there is bot traffic. The latest report shows that close to half of internet traffic is bots . Is this a security issue? We talk about it in this article.
Bots flood the network
This is a report they have made from Imperva. It shows that computer bots are becoming more and more important on the Internet . Specifically, they represent 42.3% of total Internet traffic. In addition, it is something that has been increasing in recent years and it is expected that the trend will continue.
But to what extent is this a danger? Keep in mind that bot traffic is necessary for many Internet services. Although one part is malicious, another is not. An example is the “spiders” of Google. They track the network to position websites and that they can appear in search engines.
However, there are also malicious bots. This same report indicates that they represent 27.7% of all global traffic. And there we do have a problem, since it has also risen compared to the previous year, in which it stood at 25.6%. Therefore, we can say that a quarter of all Internet traffic is dangerous.
How malicious bots affect
What can malicious bots do? Mainly collect data to gain control of an account, impersonate identity and launch attacks through social networks, email, etc. This is going to cause the privacy and security of users to be in danger and, as we have seen, there is quite a lot on the network.
They are closely related to online fraud . And it is that in many cases they will use different techniques to defraud both home users and companies. They will find ways to bypass security, impersonate a legitimate organization, or simply cause server failures.
This same report indicates that 64.1% of account takeovers used bots. The most affected sectors were the financial and travel sectors. These malicious bots will always aim to steal data and put Internet users’ security at risk.
So what can we do to protect ourselves? The main thing is common sense . For example, it is common to receive an email with a fake link or a message on social networks through bots that are actually a scam. It is essential not to make mistakes and not fall into the trap. We must avoid clicking on those links or downloading anything that comes to us through social networks without knowing who is behind it. It is important to detect bots in social networks.
It is also important to always have everything up to date , since a malicious bot can take advantage of a vulnerability to attack. It is essential to have the latest versions of the operating system and of course have a good antivirus to help us detect malicious software.