What are bots? Are they dangerous? A complete guide

From customer service chat assistants to fake social media accounts, you might be surprised just how many bots are running around online. Although bots are capable of powering some very helpful tools and automating the most tedious tasks, they can also be used for malicious purposes. As bots become ever more advanced and commonplace, understanding how they work, the risks they pose, and how to stay safe is more important than ever.

Below, we break down everything you need to know about bots from what they are, the different kinds you’re likely to encounter – both good and bad – and the various risks. Crucially, we’ll also explore the steps you can take to protect yourself from deceitful and deceptive bots. The good news is that you don’t need to invest significant time or have a lot of technical knowledge to stay safe, because all of the steps listed in this post are quick and easy to implement.

What are bots?

As you might have guessed, “bots” is short for “robots”. Sometimes referred to as “internet bots”, bots are software programs that carry out automated tasks over the internet. Bots differ from your typical software in that they don’t require human input to carry out tasks. In fact, they’re capable of running continuously and independently.

One particular advantage of this is that bots can perform actions faster and more consistently than people. They’re designed to follow instructions, which may be a simple task, such as replying to a message, or an altogether more complex action, like scanning entire websites or analyzing huge data sets.

Chances are you’ve already encountered many bots, often without realizing it. Search engines use bots to crawl websites and index their content. A virtual assistant on a website is essentially a bot programmed to simulate a conversation.

In fact, you can find them just about anywhere online, from many of the websites you visit to the social media platforms and messaging apps you use. Many of these bots are genuinely helpful, too. The trouble is that not all are safe. Some were created with malicious intentions, such as spreading spam, stealing data, or even launching cyberattacks.

Types of bots and what they do

Bots come in many forms and can carry out a wide range of tasks, some of which are helpful, others harmful. Understanding the difference can help you in your quest to stay safe online.

Helpful bots (Good bots)

Bots are built to perform tasks automatically. What those tasks are and who they benefit dictate whether a bot is helpful or harmful. Here’s a breakdown of the roles they can play online:

• Search engine bots: Also known as web crawlers or spiders, these bots are used by search engines such as Google and DuckDuckGo. Their job is to scan websites and index pages so they can appear in search results. Without this help, search engines wouldn’t be able to organize and provide you with relevant information.
• Chatbots: You’ve probably come across chatbots on websites and in messaging apps. Designed to simulate conversations with users, they typically answer common questions but can also guide users through processes and make appointments.
• Monitoring bots: Website administrators, IT professionals, and cybersecurity teams utilize monitoring bots to track website performance, uptime, and security threats. If something goes wrong, they can alert administrators, allowing them to take quick preventive action.
• Shopping bots: Whether you’re trying to find the best deals, track prices, or simply want to know when your favorite item is back in stock, shopping bots can help. Some automate the process of applying discount codes when it comes to checkout, which can help you save time and money.
• News and notifications: As you might have guessed, these are bots that can automatically deliver updates such as news headlines, weather alerts, or sports scores according to your preferences. News and notification bots are often integrated into messaging apps and social media platforms to keep you updated in real-time.

Harmful bots (Bad bots)

In contrast to helpful bots, harmful bots are programmed to exploit systems and deceive users, often carrying out malicious tasks:

• Spam bots: Whether it’s websites, forums, or the comment sections of social media platforms, spam bots flood online spaces with irrelevant content that nobody has asked for. Their goals may vary, but often include promoting scams or artificially boosting the visibility of certain online content.
• Scraper bots: Scraper bots collect content, prices, or other data from websites. Although not all scraper bots are harmful, some take information without permission. In fact, they may be used to steal intellectual property or to collect intelligence on a competitor. This can harm a business by undermining SEO efforts or duplicating content.
• Credential stuffing bots: These bots can be found scanning databases of leaked online credentials, attempting to log in to compromised accounts. Credential stuffing bots look to exploit users who reuse the same passwords across accounts. This can lead to unauthorized access and even identity theft.
• DDoS: A botnet is a network of hijacked devices. DDoS bots are used to flood a website or server with traffic, causing disruptions. Such attacks can not only be financially damaging to a business but can also result in a loss of reputation if the website or services become inaccessible to customers.
• Scam and impersonations: Such bots are most commonly found on social media and messaging platforms pretending to be real users. They may impersonate celebrities or customer service agents. Scan and impersonation bots are looking to deceive users so they can click on malicious links, share valuable personal data, or send money.

Are bots dangerous?

Not all bots are dangerous. Indeed, many perform valuable and even essential roles online. Having said that, there are malicious ones out there that pose serious threats to individuals and businesses alike.

For individuals, credential stuffing bots exploit weak or reused passwords to gain unauthorized access to personal accounts. Scam bots on social media impersonate real users in an effort to trick users into sending money or clicking on harmful links.

For business and website owners, harmful bots can cause significant disruptions. This, in turn, can damage their reputation and lead to lost revenue. For example, a DDoS attack can take an online store offline during a major sale. Scraper bots may steal competitive data. In more extreme cases, botnets are used for coordinated cyberattacks.

The automation of bots coupled with the scale at which they’re capable of operating – a single bot can perform thousands of actions per second. Needless to say, when bots are deployed in such large numbers, they can flood networks and exploit vulnerabilities at an alarming rate.

Risks posed

Malicious bots are capable of creating a variety of risks that can impact everything from your privacy to your finances. Here are just some of the significant dangers posed by harmful bots:

• Account theft
• Identity fraud
• Financial loss
• Data theft
• Service disruption
• Misinformation
• Manipulation
• Spam
• Scams

How to stay safe from malicious bots

The good news is that you don’t need to fear every online interaction you have, but you should take some precautions and stay alert. This is particularly important as bots continue to become more sophisticated.

1. Don’t trust strange messages or accounts. It’s not unusual for scam bots to impersonate people or brands. This makes it all the more important to verify before clicking on links or responding.
2. Use strong, unique passwords for each online account. Further, you should enable two-factor authentication (2FA) whenever it’s available to provide an extra layer of protection and prevent unauthorized access.
3. Be cautious with links and attachments. Bots can distribute phishing links and malware through email, social media, and shady websites. Before clicking on a link, hover over it to preview the URL and verify who it’s from.
4. Install reputable antivirus software to help you detect and remove malware as well as bots that may be operating on your device without your knowledge. Just be sure to keep your antivirus software up to date to protect against the latest threats.
5. Keep devices and apps up to date. Security vulnerabilities within your device’s operating system, apps, and browsers can be exploited by harmful bots, allowing them to gain access to your system. Regular updates can help patch these holes.
6. Be careful with public wifi networks which are unsecured on which malicious bots may look to target users. If you have no choice but to use public wifi, it’s well worth using a VPN which encrypts your traffic and helps protect your data.
7. Keep your social media accounts private. By tweaking your privacy settings, you can control who can see your social media posts and contact you. It’s possible to significantly reduce your risk of exposure to bots that are scamming or harvesting for data.
8. Choose browser extensions carefully because some shady browser extensions may include bot-like behavior, stealing data or injecting ads. You should only install browser extensions from trusted developers via official stores, and review their permissions.
9. Use email spam filters. Although your email provider should block most spam messages, some can still slip through the cracks. Don’t click on links in emails from unknown sources, and consider blocking suspicious senders you don’t recognize.
10. Report suspicious messages and accounts. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram let you report suspicious messages and accounts. Although it’s something of a constant battle, reporting helps these platforms detect and shut down bot networks.

The future

The fact is that bots aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. If anything, they’re becoming much more advanced thanks to the rapid rise of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Many bots can now learn from interactions and modify their behavior accordingly. Although this can make some bots more useful, it can make others more harmful and harder to detect.

When used and implemented correctly, AI-powered bots can enhance customer service, automate business operations, and provide support in fields including education and healthcare. Virtual assistants like Alexa and Siri are becoming increasingly intelligent and have become an integral part of daily life for millions of people.

Yet the same technologies are being exploited to create more convincing scam bots. As bots get smarter, our methods for detecting and controlling them must keep pace. We can expect to see tighter regulations on bot use going forward, as well as more advanced detection tools. There’s no shortage of debate surrounding the ethics of AI.

Frequently asked questions