A recent report revealed that bad bots accounted for almost a third of internet traffic in 2023, causing various malicious activities such as web scraping, spam, and account takeover. The 2024 Imperva Bad Bot Report also highlighted an increase in bad bot traffic to 32% and a decrease in human traffic to 50.4%. The rise of bad bots has become a pervasive threat across industries, with Ireland, Germany, and Mexico experiencing the highest levels of bad bot traffic. Notably, bad bots are impacting various sectors, including gaming, retail, travel, and financial services.
Key Takeaways
- Bad bots accounted for almost a third of all internet traffic in 2023, causing significant disruptions and requiring increased investments in customer support and internet infrastructure.
- The latest Imperva Bad Bot Report revealed that bad bot traffic increased to 32% in 2023, up from 30.2% the previous year, while human traffic decreased to 50.4%.
- The percentage of bot traffic compared to overall internet traffic has been steadily increasing, reaching approximately 49.6% in 2023, posing a pervasive and growing threat to every industry.
- Countries like Ireland, Germany, and Mexico experienced high levels of bad bot traffic, with the US also witnessing a significant rise from 32.1% to 35.4%.
- Bad bots were found to be prevalent across various industries, with gaming, retail, travel, and financial services being the most affected by bot attacks.
Analysis
The rise of bad bot traffic, accounting for almost a third of internet activity in 2023, is causing significant disruptions and necessitating increased investments in customer support and internet infrastructure. Ireland, Germany, and Mexico are the countries most impacted, reflecting a global issue. This trend directly affects industries such as gaming, retail, travel, and financial services, requiring heightened cybersecurity measures and mitigating financial loss. The long-term consequences may include decreased trust in online platforms and increased regulations to combat bad bots, impacting internet companies, cybersecurity firms, and global economies. Moreover, the need for advanced AI and machine learning technologies to counter bad bots is likely to increase.
Did You Know?
- Bad Bots: These are software applications that run automated tasks on the internet, often mimicking human behavior to perform malicious activities such as web scraping, spamming, and account takeover.
- Bot Traffic vs Human Traffic: The report highlights that bad bot traffic accounted for 32% of internet traffic in 2023, surpassing human traffic at 50.4%. This implies that a significant portion of online activities are driven by automated bots rather than genuine human interactions.
- Impact on Industries: The rise of bad bots has posed a pervasive threat across industries like gaming, retail, travel, and financial services, leading to disruptions that require increased investments in customer support and internet infrastructure.