Bad Bots Make Up 30% Of Web Traffic And 68% Of Sites Are Unprotected

According to a DataDome report released yesterday, bots with malicious intent make up over 30% of all internet traffic and 68% of US websites are unprotected against bot attacks.

Of the over 9,500 large-company, US-based websites tested:  

  • 68.2% let through all nine different types of bots  
  • 10.2% blocked all false bot requests 
  • 21.6% detected and blocked some of the bots

Evidentiary of the findings is that CAPTCHAs are no longer effective against malicious bots. Of sites equipped with a CAPTCHA tool:

  • Less than 5% detected and blocked all bots  
  • 77% failed to stop even a single bot 

For sites with specialized bot detection and a CAPTCHA tool:

  • 15% blocked all bad bots
  • 30% blocked some 
  • 55% failed to block any

“Bots are becoming more sophisticated by the day, and U.S. businesses are clearly not prepared for the financial and reputational damage these silent assassins can cause,” Antoine Vastel, head of research at DataDome.

Ted Miracco, CEO, Approov Mobile Security had this comment:

   “The diminishing effectiveness of CAPTCHAs against malicious bots raises alarms, emphasizing the need for advanced bot detection measures. While this report sheds light on web vulnerabilities, it’s also crucial to recognize that bots can exploit weaknesses in mobile apps and their APIs, adding an additional blind spot. A comprehensive security strategy should include fortifying defenses across the entire digital ecosystem, including robust protection for the web, mobile apps and all APIs. This report serves as a wake-up call for organizations to invest in robust bot protection strategies to safeguard their online presence.”

Now the CAPTCHA’s are no longer effective, I hope someone is coming up with a “plan B”. Because it won’t take long before the bots take over the web if there isn’t one.

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