Singapore ranked 6th globally in automated threats, with alarming rise in bad bot traffic

SINGAPORE: Singapore has emerged as a significant target for automated threats, ranking 6th globally, with 35.2% of its web traffic being generated by malicious bots, according to a recent report by cybersecurity firm Imperva. The findings highlight Singapore’s growing vulnerability in the face of rising automated threats, contributing to 3% of global bot attacks in 2023.

The report revealed that the United States was the most affected by these threats, accounting for 47% of global bot activity. The Netherlands and Australia followed with 9% and 8.4%, respectively. These bots, which perform automated tasks often malicious in nature, have been increasingly targeting industries and sectors, with a marked impact on the travel industry.

Globally, bots compromised 45% of web traffic in the travel sector in 2023, up from 37% in 2022. This troubling increase has had significant implications, especially in Asia, where the practice of “seat spinning” has become rampant.

Bad bots hold airline seats without completing payments, leading unauthorized online travel agencies (OTAs) to resell the seats. This can result in airlines being fully booked with fewer passengers than their capacity, affecting revenue and operations.

Another issue is unauthorized web scraping, where bots access airline websites to extract data without permission. This practice increases the fees airlines must pay their partners, further straining the industry.

In addition to these challenges, the travel sector experienced the second-highest volume of account takeover (ATO) attacks in 2023, with 11% of all such attacks targeting the industry. Cybercriminals are drawn to this sector due to the valuable personal information and stored payment methods involved.

Commenting on these developments, Daniel Toh, Chief Solutions Architect for Asia Pacific and Japan at Imperva, emphasized the importance of quick security measures.

“Quick wins for security teams would include blocking outdated browser versions, restricting access from bulk IP data centres, and implementing detection strategies for signs of automation, like unusually fast interactions,” Mr Toh advised.

As the threat landscape evolves, industries in Singapore and across the globe are urged to strengthen their cybersecurity measures to mitigate the impact of bad bot traffic and to safeguard businesses and users from the consequences of these attacks.

TISG/

Featured image by Deposit Photos