MEET THE BOT FAMILY

FROM THE FORUM  WHAT A BOT IT


How are spam-bots that sign up on forums and give intelligent replies to people who respond to them made/programmed?

So there's this infamous spam-bot who has been signing up on random forums just to post about this one insane and bizarre topic over and over, every day for 15 years. It'll often repeat phrases word for word, and it cannot understand synonyms, but a lot of people thought it was a real person. It'll sometimes give responses that are 20 paragraphs long, or just a sentence or two/emoji. It's capable of using insults eg. ''pussy'', ''dildo'' and ''bigot'' are some of its favorites. It tends to loop after 10 or so semi-original replies.
It keeps giving links to an ''Acess4Less'' website but I didn't click it.
I went onto a forum that it never visited before and mentioned the name of the spam-bot and the keywords it spams about, and no joke it just appeared 5 minutes later with its shitposts! (like 2 pages of them + insults) It also enjoys pulling Onion (spoof tabloid) articles and making brand new threads about each article it comes across presenting it as the truth, much to the annoyance of forum-goers.
It suddenly appeared in 2004. It's last spam was yesterday, and on one of the websites it signed up on in 2012, it has over 17,000 posts.
It can also ''bait and switch'' where it'll seemingly talk about innocent topics or be on topic with the thread it invades, and then it'll suddenly and without any warning start talking about this insane weird topic it's infamous for.
There's this video footage of this ''documentary'', showing these creepy, slow monotone-talking twins, (who never blink when they're talking) where they talk about this same topic and use the same wording as the spam-bot accounts they're linked to. I'm not the only one interested in this as I came across it after another guy brought it up.
It's one of the funniest/uncomfortably amusing spam-bots I've ever come across and I'm fascinated by it. XD It can be found anywhere from political forums, to YouTube, Google+, forums about cars, fishing forums, and Unexplained Mysteries forums.

   SOURCE  :  https://www.reddit.com/r/NoStupidQuestions/comments/7t0j1b/how_are_spambots_that_sign_up_on_forums_and_give/

General Bullshit › I made a bot that posts on the forums


For one of my quarantine projects I made a bot that posts on the forums.



Right now I have it running on my laptop. It's hooked to the SA account named "Patient Zero Cool". It can post in this thread and a couple others.

What does it do?
The bot reads threads and responds to instructions that people post on the forums. An instruction starts with the "botName", which can be the same as the account name but doesn't have to be. The botName of this bot is "zeroCool". So an example of an instruction to this bot is

quote:

zeroCool kittycat

The bot would respond to that instruction with a picture of a cat.



It can add images to imgur albums, post random images from imgur albums, give the daily covid tolls, and do some simple image manipulations. The complete list of commands are here, on the instructions page:
zeroCool Instructions Page

How does it work?
The bot is written in TypeScript, which is a superset of JavaScript. It stores information like its account name, password, and botName in a config file. When you run the bot it reads the config file and finds its account information. Then it gets the bookmarks page for its forums account. It gets each new post from each bookmarked thread.

It looks at each post to see if the post starts with the botName. If the post starts with the botName, then it's an instruction. If the instruction matches a trigger for one of the actions that the bot can take, then the bot takes that action. Actions usually make a post replying to the instructions post, but they don't have to.

There's a control panel:
Take a look at the control panel here

The control panel is written in React, which is a JavaScript framework made by Facebook. The control panel for zeroCool is running on my computer. If you run your own bot, the control panel will run on your computer. The control panel lets you control the bot and edit the config file through a graphical interface. You could control the bot using the command line and by editing files with a text editor if you wanted.

Using the tabs in the control panel you can





FIND OUT MORE AT :https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3933008

I want to create a bot for posting on forums


Cain_Nuke


Aug '16#1

Hi,
I would like to create a bot but since its my first time I dont know where to begin from. Like for example what language can I use. I have experience with PHP and some python but thats about it I need a bot that does the following: check every 1 minute or so whether there is a new comment from a given user and then immediately post a reply to it. I want to upload it to a webserver and have it work full time.
Could you please put me in the right direction so I have something to start with?
Thank you.


Erik_Jpossible is a state of mind
Aug '16#2

I assume that the forum is your own. 
Then you can use serverside to respond to that given user when a post is made. (But I wouldn’t call that a “bot”.)
I suggest you use PHP to accomplish this. 
(Maybe you can ask to move the thread to the PHP forum?)



GandalfIrregular
Aug '16#3

(Maybe you can ask to move the thread to the PHP forum?)

Done!



colshrapnel
Aug '16#4

I want to create a bot for posting on forums

How many forums you need to post on?



MittineagueFormer Community Award Winner
Aug '16#5

Maybe taking a look at HUBOT could help some?
HUBOT  

HUBOT 1.4k

Hubot is your friendly robot sidekick. Install him in your company to dramatically improve employee efficiency.



Cain_Nuke
Erik_J
Aug '16#6


It doesnt have to be on PHP. I will take the option that better meets my needs. And no, the forum is not mine so it has to be something that works externally. Is PHP the best option then? Because please keep in mind that it the script, program, bot or whatever is called should work automatically without operator.
I only need to post on one forum. The bot should check every minute or so whether there is a new comment from a certain user and reply immediately. I guess that if this is done on PHP I would require to set a cronjob for my server to run the script automatically, right?



MittineagueFormer Community Award Winner
Aug '16#7

the forum is not mine so it has to be something that works externally

I guess the first step is to determine the API the other forum has for posting replies to a particular member.
Knowing that may influence the decision about what the best language to use might be.
Has the site given you an API key for you to experiment with during development yet?



Cain_Nuke
Aug '16#8

No, but I wrote a script myself that does something similar. If you access it on your browser it tells you how many posts that user has. My idea is to have the bot access that and whenever the number there changes make it run.



TO CONTINUE GO TO  : https://www.sitepoint.com/community/t/i-want-to-create-a-bot-for-posting-on-forums/235061/7

Chatbot News

6 Chatbot Forums to Join in 2021

Bots are a hot topic right now. There are many growing communities where you can share your chatbots, discover new chatbots, learn how to use new tools, compare frameworks, and keep up with discoveries. We've put together a list of our six favorite chatbot forums for bot developers and bot enthusiasts alike to explore and find new connections in the exciting sphere of bot development.
February 10, 2021

Whether you’re a full-time bot developer or a bot enthusiast in your free time, you’re likely already keeping up with the latest technology trends—but do you know where to find other developers to talk shop and share your latest projects?
New and current bot enthusiasts might find joining a bot community to be the best solution for learning more about this rising technology. So, what are these bot communities? In a nutshell, they’re online spaces where developers and AI aficionados can share their new chatbot discoveries, learn new tools and techniques, and just talk about bots nonstop!
If this sounds interesting to you, check out this list of our six favorite chatbot forums for bot developers and enthusiasts to help you stay on the loop about chatbot news, engage in discussions with bot experts, and spark your interest in how to design your own bot!


1. ChatBots.org
If you want to discuss building, designing, and growing your chatbots, consider this community forum. ChatBots.org's AI Zone is dedicated specifically to bot development. Just like Reddit, you can browse by the latest or top topics and by categories. And you can post your own topics and comments. Unlike Reddit, there’s no meritocracy, since upvotes and downvotes don’t exist. But you can view posts by the number of replies, views, and activity.


2. Botsociety
Botsociety lets you preview and prototype your bots and voice interfaces for platforms such as Messenger, Slack, and Google Home. For example, if you wanted to design a Botsociety Slack bot, Botsociety has a “How to create your first Slack bot mockup” tutorial. In addition, the Botsociety Blog is a helpful resource for learning more interesting tricks and tools to help you design your bot—whether it’s your first or your hundredth. Want to know how to embed a bot into your website or how to deploy a simple Slack bot using the Microsoft Bot Framework? Botsociety has the tutorials you need.


3. Bot Stash
If you’re seeking resources and tools to help you with bot development, check out Bot Stash. This bot community has dozens of online tutorials, podcasts, and magazine articles to browse, helping you find solutions to challenges that you may encounter while developing your bot. And viewing the work of other developers can inspire and galvanize your bot creation.


4. Slack
With hundreds of Slack communities, it can be difficult to decide which ones to join. You may want to initially invest time in a few and then narrow it down after you find your niche. The Bot Developer Hangout channel focuses on building Slack bots. And, if you want to meet a lot of “academics, artists, and terrifyingly creative people,” (according to one member) try exploring the Botmakers bot community.


5. Facebook Chatbots Group
If you’re looking to discuss bots and AI on messaging platforms, such as Facebook, Slack, or SMS, consider Facebook Chatbots Group, where members share articles, give advice, and post questions about building bots. Want to know the best tool to enable you to build a bot without coding it as a web chat solution? Wondering whether TensorFlow can support 32-bit Windows operating system? These are just a couple of the questions people explore within the group.


6. BotList.co
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of bots available to you, BotList.co is the perfect place to start. The main idea behind BotList is to offer a centralized bot directory, almost like an app store but for bots. But BotList is much more than a place to browse bots.
In a profile in Chatbot Magazine, BotList founder Seth Louey notes that BotList.co was designed to keep up with the rapidly changing bot offerings that are constantly sprouting and growing. Every bot features a description that helps clarify its purpose and its backend, and every bot includes several other categorization tags which help ensure that those looking for the bot are able to easily find it. This chatbot forum allows you to make a profile, showcase your bots, or browse other bots (choose from featured bots, latest bots, bot collections, and more). Plus, you can check out the profiles of other bot makers. '
As you continue learning how to build bots, it’s important to keep up with industry trends. Joining niche online communities can help you become more fluent in the practice, discover up-to-date resources, and meet other like-minded developers who share a passion for a fully integrated world. Who knows? You might also notice growth in your career.

SOURCE :  https://discover.bot/bot-talk/6-chatbot-forums-to-join-in-2021/

HOW TO CREATE A BOT IN A FORUM LIKE MINE phpBB ( with an admin account )




THERE ARE 3 BOTS SCANNING MY FORUM 24/7 . THEY ARE GATHERING EVERY BIT OF INFORMATION . iT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO STOP . I WOULD HAVE NO FEARS OR NEED FOR THEM TO STOP . THE AMOUNT OF ORIGINAL INFORMATION ON THIS SITE . IS ABOUT ENOUGH TO WRITE ON YOUR THUMBNAIL . ANYMORE THAN THAT IS WORTHLESS AND NOT A SECRET . THE INFO IS OUT THERE AND NOTHING NEW TO THEM . SO I WORRY NOT .





LOL NOT EASY TO SEE .

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Board index phpBB Archives phpBB 3.0.x Forums Archive 3.0.x Modifications Forums [3.0.x] MOD Writers Discussion

bot for posting on forum

Forum rules
READ: phpBB.com Board-Wide Rules and Regulations

IMPORTANT: MOD Writers Discussion Rules

phpBB 3.0 has reached EOL

16 posts

• 1
  
  

[*]


nachtkriecher Registered UserPosts: 37Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2007 5:45 am

bot for posting on forum

Post by nachtkriecher » Wed Jun 03, 2009 7:27 pm
this isn't exactly a MOD per se, but i didnt exactly know where to put it.

basically it's a bot (from an external source) that is already registered, that posts things on your forum.

ive posted something very similar before, here and here:
http://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopi ... &t=1125815
http://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopi ... &t=1125835

and that worked great for a while, and then my boss wanted something rather similar, and so i did it again in python instead of java, and it seems phpbb works slightly different than it used to: for instance, it seems to care about referers a lot more, there is no more "topic_cur_post_id" field when posting, and.. other things.

here's my current problem: when i try to post data to the posting.php, it redirects me to the login screen and tells me i must be logged in to post. i have already gotten logging in and logging out working fine, and it can get from anywhere to the index page.

anyone here have any ideas on what could be happening?
Top


nachtkriecher Registered UserPosts: 37Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2007 5:45 am

Re: bot for posting on forum

Post by nachtkriecher » Thu Jun 04, 2009 12:22 am
oh i forgot, here's the code im using:

http://www.nachtkriecher.com/downloads/forum.py
Top


Sam Former Team MemberPosts: 2082Joined: Thu Jan 22, 2009 3:59 amLocation: Sacramento, CAName: Sam Thompson Contact:
Contact Sam

Re: bot for posting on forum

Post by Sam » Thu Jun 04, 2009 3:12 am
Havn't got a chance to see exactly what was wrong with the code, but the phpBB function you are looking for would be the submit_post() function. Check out this article for information on how to use it. I had a similar system, however I basically made my own 'reply' page, where users can post on a hidden forum and the posts are syndicated.
Its quite easy to use and build a bridge with, best of luck.
Looking for a VPS? | Blog | Github
Top


nachtkriecher Registered UserPosts: 37Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2007 5:45 am

Re: bot for posting on forum

Post by nachtkriecher » Thu Jun 04, 2009 11:48 am
*sigh*

somehow last time this happened too.

this bot acts outside of the forum code itself. it's just as if it was a user. it has to login and post data to posting.php?mode=reply. and it's not in php, it's in python. that's why i said it's not technically a mod. there are no modifications made to the forum code.

it should be clear once you look at my python code.
Top


RMcGirr83 Former Team MemberPosts: 21969Joined: Wed Jun 22, 2005 4:33 pmLocation: Your displayName: Rich McGirr

Re: bot for posting on forum

Post by RMcGirr83 » Thu Jun 04, 2009 12:37 pm
Is there a reason as to why the code must be python based? I assume that you have a trigger set when some one submits a topic for there to also be a reply? Is it instantaneous? How does the bot know to reply to a topic?
Former Modifications/Extensions Team Member | My extensions | github | All requests for support via PM will be ignored
Appreciate the extensions/mods/support then buy me a beer
Top


nachtkriecher Registered UserPosts: 37Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2007 5:45 am

Re: bot for posting on forum

Post by nachtkriecher » Thu Jun 04, 2009 1:27 pm
it's python based because my last one was java based, and it's on a remote server, and i wanted it to be easier than java to update. it's not php based because for various reasons i wanted it disconnected from the phpbb code. last time my reason for this was because i didnt have ftp access. i dont remember every reason that i had this time, but i remember that i had reasons. probably mostly because it doesn't seem to have been done and documented.

there is not a trigger set up for it to reply. i am going to use a mod to do that to "thank" people. but this bot is completely different.

the bot will mostly be posting new topics when it receives an email. i dont think it will ever be replying. but my code has a "replyToTopic" method because i dont want to limit the bot.
Top


Sam Former Team MemberPosts: 2082Joined: Thu Jan 22, 2009 3:59 amLocation: Sacramento, CAName: Sam Thompson Contact:
Contact Sam

Re: bot for posting on forum

Post by Sam » Thu Jun 04, 2009 4:35 pm
The submit_post can be on a custom page if you want, all you have to do is include the right file, and it should work. You don't even need phpBB sessions to make it work, you specify everything inside the proper arrays.
Looking for a VPS? | Blog | Github
Top


nachtkriecher Registered UserPosts: 37Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2007 5:45 am

Re: bot for posting on forum

Post by nachtkriecher » Thu Jun 04, 2009 4:58 pm
ooooh, cool. that could definitely be useful. it still doesn't solve my problem, but i think i might have found the problem - i forgot to post using multipart/form-data. that doesn't quite explain the results i got, but hey whatever. it should work.

thanks though syntax, that might be useful to me in the future.
Top


nachtkriecher Registered UserPosts: 37Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2007 5:45 am

Re: bot for posting on forum

Post by nachtkriecher » Thu Jun 04, 2009 8:15 pm
ok so posting in multipart/form-data had no effect. i dont understand why it is acting like i am logged off afterwards instead of telling me i posted bad data.
Top


Nelsaidi Registered UserPosts: 525Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2008 1:59 pmLocation: London, UK Contact:
Contact Nelsaidi

Re: bot for posting on forum

Post by Nelsaidi » Thu Jun 04, 2009 9:26 pm
Does your python script handle cookies/sessions? - If not, make sure you send the SID which is sent via the get method.

Click here to find out what eRepublik is.
Top


nachtkriecher Registered UserPosts: 37Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2007 5:45 am

Re: bot for posting on forum

Post by nachtkriecher » Fri Jun 05, 2009 6:41 pm
oh yes, it sure does. it can successfully log in, browse the forum, and then log back out.

edit: installing wireshark to try and see the difference
Top


nachtkriecher Registered UserPosts: 37Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2007 5:45 am

Re: bot for posting on forum

Post by nachtkriecher » Mon Jun 08, 2009 5:23 pm
ok this is not making any sense at all. apparently it does the login_box from line 240 of posting.php, but i dont see how i could not have authorization. i log in as the bot and post with no problem. ive used a packet sniffer and the only things not sent are like the bbcode things and the helpbox and the file uploading stuff. no one has any ideas what the problem could be?
Top


nachtkriecher Registered UserPosts: 37Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2007 5:45 am

Re: bot for posting on forum

Post by nachtkriecher » Wed Jun 10, 2009 3:50 pm
i found the problem:

for some reason phpbb doesn't like relative URIs for the referer header. is this on purpose?
Top


ToonArmy Former Team MemberPosts: 4608Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2004 5:29 pmLocation: Worcestershire, UKName: Chris Smith Contact:
Contact ToonArmy

Re: bot for posting on forum

Post by ToonArmy » Wed Jun 10, 2009 8:24 pm

nachtkriecher wrote:i found the problem:

for some reason phpbb doesn't like relative URIs for the referer header. is this on purpose?

Nope its a bug, however I've not encountered a browser that uses relative URIs which is why we hadn't noticed before now. Please report the issue http://www.phpbb.com/bugs/phpbb3/
Chris Smith • GitHub
Top


Acyd Burn Consultant
Posts: 5830Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2001 8:31 pmLocation: Behind YouName: Meik Sievertsen

Re: bot for posting on forum

Post by Acyd Burn » Tue Sep 01, 2009 11:27 am
There is an option for referer checks in phpBB:
"If enabled, the referer of POST requests will be checked against the host/script path settings. This may cause issues with boards using several domains and or external logins."

I am not sure if we should allow relative URIs within the referer, if they are even allowed.


[*]FOLLOW MORE OF THIS AT :  https://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=1630645


[*].

MORE ABOUT BOTS AND HOW THEY WORK


Definition
bot


By

• Ben Lutkevich, Technical Writer
  
• Alexander S. Gillis, Technical Writer and Editor
  

 

What is a bot?

A bot -- short for robot and also called an internet bot -- is a computer program that operates as an agent for a user or other program or to simulate a human activity. Bots are normally used to automate certain tasks, meaning they can run without specific instructions from humans.

An organization or individual can use a bot to replace a repetitive task that a human would otherwise have to perform. Bots are also much faster at these tasks than humans. Although bots can carry out useful functions, they can also be malicious and come in the form of malware.

How do bots work?

Normally, bots operate over a network. They communicate with one another using internet-based services, such as instant messaging (IM); interfaces like Twitterbots; or Internet Relay Chat. According to the 2021 research report titled "Bot Attacks: Top Threats and Trends" from security firm Barracuda, more than two-thirds of internet traffic is bots. In addition, 67% of bad bot traffic originates from public data centers in North America.

Bots are made from sets of algorithms that aid them in their designated tasks. These tasks include conversing with a human -- which attempts to mimic human behaviors -- or gathering content from other websites. There are several different types of bots designed to accomplish a wide variety of tasks.

For example, a chatbot uses one of several methods to operate. A rule-based chatbot interacts with a person by giving predefined prompts for that individual to select. An intellectually independent chatbot uses machine learning to learn from human inputs and scan for valuable keywords that can trigger an interaction. Artificial intelligence chatbots are a combination of rule-based and intellectually independent chatbots. Chatbots may also use pattern matching, natural language processing (NLP) and natural language generation tools.



Organizations or individuals who use bots can also use bot management software, which helps manage bots and protect against malicious bots. Bot managers may also be included as part of a web app security platform. A bot manager can allow the use of some bots and block the use of others that might cause harm to a system. To do this, a bot manager classifies any incoming requests by humans and good bots, as well as known malicious and unknown bots. Any suspect bot traffic is then directed away from a site by the bot manager. Some basic bot management feature sets include IP rate limiting and CAPTCHAs. IP rate limiting restricts the number of same address requests, while CAPTCHAs provide challenges that help differentiate bots from humans.

Types of bots

There are numerous types of bots, all with unique goals and tasks. Some common bots include the following:

• Chatbots. These programs can simulate conversations with a human being. One of the first and most famous chatbots prior to the web was Eliza, an NLP program developed in 1966 as a Massachusetts Institute of Technology research project. This chatbot pretended to be a psychotherapist and answered questions with other questions. More recent examples of chatbots include virtual assistants, such as Amazon's Alexa, Apple's Siri and Google Assistant.
  
• Social bots. These bots, often considered opinion bots, influence discussions with users on social media platforms.
  
• Shopbots. Many of these programs shop around the web and locate the best price for a product a user is interested in buying. Other shopbots like the Shopify chatbot enable Shopify store owners to automate marketing and customer support.
  
• Knowbots. These programs collect knowledge for a user by automatically visiting websites to retrieve information that meets certain specified criteria. Knowbots were originally used as a computerized assistant that performed redundant tasks.
  
• Spiders or crawlers. Also known as web crawlers, these bots access websites and gather content for indexes in search engines, such as Google and Bing.
  
• Web scraping crawlers. These are similar to crawlers but are used for data harvesting and extracting relevant content from webpages.
  
• Monitoring bots. These can be used to monitor the health of a website or system.
  
• Transactional bots. These bots are designed to simplify tasks that would otherwise be performed by a human over the phone, such as blocking a stolen credit card or confirming a bank's hours of operation.
  

Bots can also be classified as good bots or bad bots -- in other words, bots that do not cause any harm versus bots that pose threats.

Examples and uses of bots

Bots can be used in customer service fields, as well as in areas such as business, scheduling, search functionality and entertainment. Bots in each area offer different benefits. For example, customer service bots are available 24/7 and increase the availability of customer service employees. These programs are also called virtual representatives or virtual agents, and they free up human agents to focus on more complicated issues.

Other services that use bots include the following:

• IM apps, such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and Slack;
  
• news apps, such as The Wall Street Journal, to show news headlines;
  
• Spotify, which enables users to search for and share music tracks via Facebook Messenger;
  
• Lyft, which enables user to request rides using IM apps;
  
• meeting scheduling services; and
  
• customer service applications that use chatbots to field customer requests and survey customer experience.
  

 



  Bots can be used legitimately or maliciously -- to exploit a system or support it -- in a variety of different ways.

Malicious bots

Malicious bots are used to automate actions considered to be cybercrimes. Common types of malicious bots include the following:

• denial-of-service or distributed DoS bots, which overload a server's resources and prevent the service from operating;
  
• spambots, which post promotional content to drive traffic to a specific website; and
  
• hackers, which distribute malware, attack websites and gather sensitive information, such as financial data -- bots created by hackers can also open backdoors to install more serious malware and worms.
  

Other malicious types of bots include the following:

• credential stuffing tools;
  
• email address harvesting software;
  
• brute-force password cracking tools; and
  
• keyloggers.
  

Organizations can stop malicious bots by using a bot manager.

Advantages and disadvantages of bots

There are plenty of advantages that come with using bots, as well as disadvantages, such as risks that other bots could pose. Some potential advantages of bots include the following:

• faster than humans at repetitive tasks;
  
• time saved for customers and clients;
  
• available 24/7;
  
• organizations can reach large numbers of people via messenger apps;
  
• customizable; and
  
• improved user experience.
  

Some disadvantages include the following:

• cannot be set to perform some exact tasks and risk misunderstanding users;
  
• humans are still necessary to manage the bots, as well as to step in if one misinterprets another human;
  
• can be made malicious by users; and
  
• can be used for spam.
  

How to detect malicious bots

There are several signs that indicate a system is infected by malicious bots, including the following:

• There are frequent software application glitches and computer crashes without a known cause.
  
• The computer sends emails or chat messages to the user's contacts without the user's knowledge.
  
• Applications are slower to load than normal.
  
• The internet connection is slower than normal.
  
• Pop-up spam appears, despite the fact that the user is not using the internet.
  
• The computer's fan randomly runs at a high speed while the computer is idle.
  
• Settings have changed without the user's knowledge, and there is no way to reverse them.
  
• The internet browser includes features or add-ons that the user did not install.
  
• The computer takes a long time to shut down or reboot.
  
• The computer does not shut down or reboot correctly.
  
• The activity monitor shows that unknown programs are running in the background.
  
• Warnings appear on the user's computer stating that, if they do not click on a given link, their computer will be infected with a virus.
  

How to prevent malicious bot activity

The best defense against malicious bots is prevention. Sound cybersecurity practices can help keep a bot infection from occurring. The ways to prevent bots include the following:

• Install antimalware software. Malicious bots fall under the category of malware. Antimalware software can help automate protection against this type of threat.
  
• Install a bot manager. A bot manager is typically part of a web app security platform. These classify web requests and allow the use of some bots, while blocking others. Two bot management tactics are the following:
  [list=default-list]
• IP rate limiting caps the number of same-address requests.
  
• CAPTCHAs use puzzles to verify that the requesting user is a human and not a bot.
  

[*]Use a firewall. Firewalls can be configured to block bots and prevent certain traffic based on IP address or behavior.
[*]Update software. Software updates contain security updates that can help defend against bots.
[*]Password hygiene. Bots can be used to brute-force attack weaker passwords and break into user accounts. Having a strong password and changing it frequently can help prevent this.
[*]Click trusted links only. Bots may send spam or malicious links via email. Only click on links from a trusted source to avoid getting a malicious link from a bot.
[/list]

Preventing malicious bots is part of a comprehensive security plan. Learn how to create an enterprise cybersecurity strategy that is proactive in defending against threats like malicious bots.

This was last updated in March 2022

 Continue Reading About bot

• How RPA can improve payroll processes
  

• How RPA can simplify the onboarding process
  

• How bad writing, templates and chatbots kill customer service
  

• How do you create a chatbot and connect it to Salesforce?
  

• Businesses underestimate negative impact of bot traffic
  

Related Terms

biotechnology (biotech) Biotechnology is the use of biology to develop new products, methods and organisms intended to improve human health and society. See complete definition  degrees of freedom (mechanics) In mechanics, degrees of freedom (DOF) is the number of independent variables that define the possible positions or motions of a ... See complete definition  spambot A spambot is an automated system that sends unwanted, unsolicited messages to users, known as spam. See complete definition  



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• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
  
• historical data
  
• piggybacking
  
• east-west traffic
  
• nibble
  
• smoke testing
  
• CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Service)
  

SOURCE :  https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/bot-robot

BUMP