Internet bots are designed to perform specific and repetitive tasks. They work by following clearly defined commands through algorithms and scripts. Bots are used because they are fast compared to humans. These computer programs operate autonomously and automatically, and it does not need human input to perform a task.
Bots use complex code and artificial intelligence that makes it difficult to distinguish from human users in a social network. Therefore, it can be difficult for you to distinguish it from human users in social networks. That can be dangerous since not all bots are good. There are bad bots that can be dangerous when they get into your website. Here are examples of what malicious bots will do when they get into your website.
- Propaganda or manipulative bots; stimulate the user profile and can spread fake news or conspiracy theories
- Scam bots: commit data theft through pseudo accounts
- Keylogging bots: used to log message traffic to record, store, or forward all activities in a computer
- File sharing bots: respond to the targeted request and offer a link to users that can infect the computer
- Spam bots: sends spam emails, and they use the address book and contacts of the user to expand their reach
Regardless of your business’s size, the last thing you want is to deal with bots. The best way you can avoid such issues is by learning how to prevent bad bots on your website. Here are ways you can use to help you prevent bots from getting into your website.
- Sign Up Authentication
In case your website involves the sign-up account, you need to have a sign-up authentication. That will help in reducing the number of bots accounts that can register. The sign-up authentication should use a phone number or email address that is attached to the account. The verification code should be verified before the user is allowed to get into the website. It is easy for people to use the verification code to get into the website, but malicious site bots will have a hard time. Using this option will let the admin know that the new account has a legitimate email address and phone number.
- Use Of CAPTCHA
The purpose of the CAPTCHA is to stop bots by adding a small task before getting into a website. CAPTCHA might be a simple process for humans, but it can be complex for bots. Thus, this is one of the simplest and yet effective ways you can use to keep the bots out of your site. In case you notice that you are getting many spam comments through your filter, it might be time for you to use the CAPTCHA option. That will help protect your website from malicious activities.
- Block Unknown Sites
Bots are evolving, and each day, they become tough to identify or block out. For that reason, you should keep out any unknown sites from getting into your website. When you disallow access from these sources, this might discourage attackers from getting into your sites. If so, you will not have to worry about dealing with bots.
- Use Of Banhammer
Before you start dealing with bot protection, it is best to take the time to get into your website and ban or remove the functions of your site. That will help you find any new or old users that might be bots. If you get these accounts, you can block them to ensure that they will no longer be getting into your website. Though it is paramount for you to block the possibility of the bots gaining access to your site, leaving old bots is dangerous. For that reason, take time to ensure that your website is bot-free before adding a botnet protection.
- Monitor The Comment Section
You should never ignore the comment section; it needs to be regularly checked. When you do this, you will manage to remove any spam comments that might have gotten into your site. Once you notice the spam, the next step is banning the users. In case the issue you have with the bots is serious, you should set up manual comment moderation. That means you will receive an email before any comment is posted on your site, and you will approve the comments manually. It might take some time, but it is worth the effort as it will help to keep the bots away.
- Investigate Traffic Spikes
The traffic spikes might seem like a great win for your business. However, you need to find the reason for the spike. It is not possible to have unexplained traffic getting into your website. In case you notice one that is not explained, then that can be a sign of bad bots activity. If that is the case, you can ensure that you prevent the bots from doing any malicious activities on your website.
- Monitor Failed Login Attempts
When you notice there are many login attempts into your site, this should be a red flag. It is important for you to check why you have several login attempts and why it is failing. If you act on time, you might prevent the bots from getting into your account. You need to set up alerts so that you are notified if there is a failed login attempt that takes place.
- Pay Attention To Public Data Breaches
Some sites offer information on credentials that have been recently stolen. You can ensure that your site is safe by getting the information and using it on the site. Use the data to compare with any recent login activity into your website. If you find that there have been many login attempts, it means that bots are trying to access your website. You can prevent this by denying access.
Conclusion
In case you are using any of the highlighted options, you need to make sure they are as optimized as possible. When you do this, you can be certain that the bots will be stopped as soon as possible. If so, you will not have to worry about dealing with the effects of having bad bots on your website. You owe it to your business and clients to ensure that the data is protected.
