A recent cybersecurity report by Barracuda Networks reveals significant insights about internet traffic, showcasing the prevalence and nature of bot-generated activities. The report emphasizes two distinct categories of bots and highlights the evolution of their functions, with a particular focus on “bad” bots. Here’s a summary of the key findings:
Bot Landscape Transformation:
Originally, bots were primarily used by search engines, but they now serve a multitude of functions, including malicious activities. Barracuda Networks categorizes bots into two groups: “good” bots that assist search engines and adhere to website rules, and “bad” bots initially created for nefarious purposes, such as scraping and carrying out DDoS attacks.
Malware Dominance:
Malware constitutes a significant portion of all bot-generated traffic, accounting for 60% of the total volume. Remarkably, there is reason for cautious optimism, as the share of “bad” bot traffic has decreased from 39% in 2021 to 30% currently.
Geographical Insights:
The report reveals that 72% of malicious traffic originates from North America, primarily the United States, attributed to the prevalence of cloud services like AWS and Microsoft Azure. These clouds are commonly used for launching attacks since 67% of “bad” bot traffic is linked to IP data centers.
Common Offenders:
Notably, AWS and Azure are equally susceptible to “bad” bot activity due to their quick and cost-free registration processes. While these cloud services offer convenience, they also facilitate easy identification and blocking of bot-generated traffic. The UAE follows with 12% of malicious bot traffic, while Saudi Arabia (6%), Qatar, and India (5%) occupy the subsequent positions. Approximately one-third of “bad” bot traffic is traced back to home IP addresses.
This report sheds light on the evolving role of bots in internet traffic, highlighting the prevalence of “bad” bots and their impact on the digital landscape, concludes NIXsolutions. It also emphasizes the geographical hotspots for such activities, urging organizations to remain vigilant in the face of these evolving cyber threats.