For the first time, automated bots accounted for the majority of internet traffic in 2024, reaching 51% according to Imperva's latest report.
This shift is largely due to the increased accessibility of AI and large language models, making bot creation easier. Worryingly, malicious bots now make up 37% of all web traffic, a significant rise from the previous year, marking a six-year upward trend. While 14% of bot traffic is beneficial, the surge in harmful bots is concerning. Imperva found these bad bots are increasingly targeting crucial business operations, using AI to mimic human behavior and evade traditional security measures. Analysts highlight that the ease of using AI tools has empowered cyber attackers to deploy sophisticated bots at scale, which also learn from failed attacks to improve their evasion. Alarmingly, AI-driven attacks are evolving, with Imperva blocking millions daily. Bots like ByteSpider are using tactics like browser spoofing and residential proxies to appear as legitimate users, heavily impacting sectors like finance, telecom, healthcare, and retail, particularly targeting APIs. This automated traffic affects more than just security, impacting marketing and business strategies. As AI advances, distinguishing between human and bot traffic will become harder, requiring organizations to adopt advanced, multi-layered security approaches to combat these sophisticated threats.
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