Study Reveals 96% of Websites Attacked by Malicious Bots

There is substantial and overwhelming evidence to support the fact that the Internet is strife with attacks from malware, hackers, and sophisticated bots. In a recent study conducted by Distil Networks, a company that deals with detection and mitigation of malicious website attacks, 96% of websites get attacked by automated bot programs.

The Internet is a risky place, and if you are a webmaster, you know firsthand how difficult it can be in maintaining a website when it comes to attacks from malicious entities. Bots, or automated programs that run automated tasks and scripts, are commonly used in the modern-day landscape of the Internet to attack websites. IN their attacks bots use scripts to scour data and sometimes compromise websites for one of many purposes, sometimes to spread malware or carry out aggressive phishing attacks.

A Bot Attack on Your Favorite Website is Imminent

In knowing that the majority of websites, up to 96% of them according to Distil Networks' latest study, are attacked in some form by bad bots, the likelihood of a website coming under attack at one time or another is almost a guarantee.

The world of uncertain malware and bots that attack websites that could harbor millions of personal user data files is a case for walking on eggshells. As such, CEO and co-founder of Distil Networks, Rami Essaid, says that "Massive credential dumps like Ashley Madison and Yahoo, coupled with the increasing sophistication of bad bots, has created a world where bad bots are running rampant on websites with accounts." Essaid goes on to explain, "Website defenders should be worried because once bad bots are behind the login page, they have access to even more sensitive data for scraping and greater opportunity to successfully carry out transaction fraud."

At one time botnets were ranking as one of the most prevalent and destructive types of malware. However, over the course of the past few years, threats like Ransomware have dominated the Internet landscape and use aggressive techniques to extort money from victimized PC user by encryption of files and holding them for a ransom payment. Though, bad bots could very well play a role in the proliferation of ransomware where malicious scripts running on websites attacked by bots spread ransomware.

Bot Web Traffic at Alarming Rates

One of the more frightening aspects of bad bots is that about 40% of all web traffic in 2016 came from bots, which about half of the 40% were from bots with malicious intent.

Data from Distil Networks also uncovers that most of the bad bot traffic came from data centers instead of mobile devices or residential web traffic. What this tells us is that the authors and perpetrators behind bad bots are busy at work with their launching platforms residing on the ends of robust providers instead of wasting time with infected PCs in residences or comprised mobile devices. Bad bots appear to be the creation of expert hackers and those who seek to steal data, commit fraud, and take over online accounts on a huge scale.