Bots

Bots are software programs designed to perform automated tasks on the internet. They can be programmed to automatically crawl websites for data, interact with users through chat interfaces, fill out forms, and/or perform repetitive tasks.

The robots.txt file lives within a website’s directory and provides bots with rules for which pages or files should be accessed. It is a guideline that website owners use to control how search engines and other bots interact with their websites.

A botnet is a group of compromised computers or Internet of Things devices (IoT) that are under the control of a hacker (also known as a “botmaster” or “bot herder”). They enable a botmaster to launch large-scale attacks.

Learn about the history of bots.

Learn about the different types of bots: both legitimate and malicious.

Bot Management is a type of layer-7 security software that organizations can implement to protect their applications from malicious bot traffic.

A SYN flood attack is a denial of service where an attacker overwhelms a target system by continuously sending SYN (Synchronize) requests.

Bot fraud involves using automated programs to unlawfully interact with digital systems, often mimicking human actions to deceive and exploit businesses for financial gain.

Bot detection involves a specialized piece of software that analyzes web traffic on your website or application and distinguishes between human users and automated programs.

A web crawler is an automated program, script, or bot that helps search engines and other programs keep up with the constantly changing content on the internet, ensuring you always have access to the latest information.

A bot network, better known as a botnet, is a cluster of internet-connected devices secretly compromised and controlled by cybercriminals who use them to execute large-scale attacks, steal data, and manipulate digital systems.

Traffic bots are software programs that can carry out automated interactions with websites. They can undertake helpful functions, such as monitoring site performance, or engage in malicious behaviors, like launching cyberattacks.

Ransomware is a malware designed to prevent users from accessing files in their systems until they pay a ransom. Cybercriminals restrict access to data by encrypting it and only provide a decryption key after receiving payment.