What is a bot and how does it work?
Bots constitute a significant portion of internet traffic and activity. They can perform various automated tasks without human intervention, such as customer service or website indexing. However, some bots can be harmful and infect your device with malware.
What is a bot?
A bot, short for "robot," is a computer program or an algorithm that carries out repetitive tasks and can automate processes. These may include web indexing, web scraping, automated messaging, and information retrieval. Bots can perform repetitive tasks much more quickly than humans, and thus, they are often combined with various software applications and websites. Integrating bots into daily tasks means increased efficiency and reduced repetitive tasks for humans. On the other hand, bots can also be used for malicious purposes and are regularly employed by hackers to spread malware, especially through distributed denial of service (DDoS) and botnet attacks.
How do bots work?
Bots operate by strictly following scripts and algorithms to complete the tasks for which they were created. They respond to specific triggers or commands that signal the bot to start working. These can include anything from keywords to message requests on social media. Bots can be of various types, depending on how they are designed. The three most common bot operating methods that define its type are:
Automation
Which allows the performance of repetitive tasks without human intervention.
Computer vision
Attempting to digitally imitate human vision.
Machine learning
following patterns to determine the most likely human-like responses and enabling chatbots to respond naturally, as Replika AI does.
Bots can be of various types
Bots can be both beneficial and malicious. Good bots can help improve user experience and automate repetitive tasks. Malicious bots, created by hackers, can steal sensitive information or add an infected computer to a botnet.
Types of Beneficial Bots
There are numerous beneficial bots designed to assist people, from automated support to handling complex transactions. Here are some of them:
Search Bots
Browse the internet, read content, follow links, and index websites on search engines like Google or Yahoo. These systems later use the bot's data for relevant search results.
Chatbots
Engage in conversations with users and answer their questions without human involvement. Banks, online retailers, and many other companies create their chatbots to quickly respond to user inquiries and answer typical questions without involving customer support.
Monitoring Bots
Watch over various activities on websites and servers to check their operation and report if any problems occur. Businesses often use these bots for monitoring prices and stocks, as well as content and social networks.
Personal Assistant
Bots These are augmented intelligence tools created to help users gather information, quickly complete tasks, and automate certain duties. This type of bot uses a combination of operating methods, including natural language processing (NLP), machine learning, and a predefined set of rules for performance. One such assistant is Siri.
Aggregator Bots
Designed to compile information from multiple sources and present it to users.
Transaction Bots
Handle various transactions on behalf of users. They streamline exchange processes, making them faster, more efficient, and user-friendly. Such bots can reduce the likelihood of human errors during financial operations.
Types of Malicious Bots
The automation and process optimization offered by bots are valued by both users and hackers. Malefactors have found ways to turn the positive activity of bots into something malicious, crippling systems and harming internet users. Here are some of them:
Spam Bots
Create fake user accounts and spread spam across the internet. They can generate emails or messages in various chats. Spam bots are used for anything from advertising specific products to distributing malware.
Web Scraping
Bots Download the entire content of a target website, which can then be republished elsewhere. This directly violates copyright laws and can harm the website's reputation as well as cause indexing problems with Google.
Credential Stuffing Bots
Check leaked passwords against access to major services with the aim of further selling them to other users.
DDoS Bots
Spread malware to other devices, forming a botnet, which is a collection of bots. The more bots a hacker has, the more powerful the attack can be.
Vulnerability Scanners
Hackers use them for automatic detection and exploitation of network and system vulnerabilities. They conduct vulnerability scans during the planning phase of a cyberattack because they help identify possible entry points into the network. Once vulnerabilities are found, cybercriminals try to gain unauthorized access to the network and spread malware or steal confidential data.
Click Fraud Bots
Artificially inflate the number of clicks on online ads, making fraudulent charges to the ad owners. This tactic can financially drain competitors or distort market analytics.
