A new report from Akamai Technologies has revealed some startling statistics about the prevalence of web scraper bots and their impact on businesses, particularly in the e-commerce sector. According to the cloud computing giant, a staggering 42 percent of all web traffic is now generated by bots.
of The report revealed As the internet becomes increasingly dominated by automated traffic, businesses face increasing threats from malicious bots. Cloud giant Akamai Technologies has released its latest State of the Internet (SOTI) report, “Scraping Away Your Bottom Line: How Web Scrapers Impact e-commerce,” shedding light on the pervasive problem of web scraping bots and their negative impact on online businesses.
The findings of the report are shocking: bots now account for 42% of all web traffic, with 65% of that being classified as malicious. The surge in bot activity is of particular concern to the e-commerce sector, which is heavily reliant on revenue-generating web applications and therefore most vulnerable to high-risk bot traffic.
Patrick Sullivan, CTO of Security Strategy at Akamai, highlighted the seriousness of the issue, saying, “Bots continue to pose a significant challenge and cause a variety of problems for app and API owners.” He highlighted the various ways scraper bots can harm businesses, including data theft and brand impersonation.
The report identifies several key ways scraper bots are being weaponized against businesses, including gathering competitive intelligence, hoarding inventory, creating fake sites, etc. Such activity not only impacts a business’s bottom line, but also degrades customer experience.
One of the most worrying developments highlighted in the report is the rise of AI botnets. These advanced bots have the ability to discover and scrape unstructured data and content, even when presented in inconsistent formats and locations. Additionally, they can leverage business intelligence to power their decision-making processes, making them increasingly difficult to detect and mitigate.
The impact of AI-powered scraper bots goes beyond simple data theft: the report warns that by harvesting product images, descriptions and pricing information, they can be used to create more sophisticated phishing campaigns. Stolen data can be used to create fake storefronts and phishing sites aimed at stealing user credentials and credit card information.
Another worrying trend identified in the report is the use of bots to fraudulently open new accounts, with recent research suggesting this type of scam could account for up to 50 percent of fraud losses.
Despite the serious threat that scraper bots pose, there are currently no laws banning their use. This legal vacuum, combined with the sophistication of bot technology, makes it critical that businesses implement a strong defensive strategy.
read See the full report here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering free speech and online censorship.
