Undetected web scraping bots severely impact ecommerce

Akamai Technologies, a leading cloud services provider, has released its State of the Internet (SOTI) report, focusing on the pervasive threat of web scraping bots and their impact on online security and business integrity.

Overview of Web Scraping Bots

• Comprise 42% of total web traffic; 65% are malicious.
• Target ecommerce sectors for competitive advantage and fraud.

Key Findings

• AI Botnets and Data Scraping:

  • Utilize AI to extract unstructured data and enhance decision-making processes.
  • Pose challenges with sophisticated phishing campaigns and counterfeit sites.

• Impact on Ecommerce:

  • Threats include brand impersonation, inventory hoarding, and fraud.
  • Technical impacts on website performance and security.

Mitigation Strategies

• Recommendations for organizations to combat scraper bots.
• Case study demonstrating improved website efficiency post-implementation.

Compliance Considerations

• Addressing legal and regulatory implications of bot attacks.
• Strategies for maintaining data privacy and security standards.

Akamai's State of the Internet Series

• Celebrating 10 years of expert insights into cybersecurity and web performance.
• Data sourced from Akamai Connected Cloud for comprehensive analysis.

Akamai's SOTI report underscores the critical need for organizations to address the growing threat of web scraping bots. By implementing robust security measures and compliance frameworks, businesses can safeguard their operations and customer trust amidst evolving cybersecurity challenges.