Automated threats to websites, mobile apps, and APIs aren’t new at all. But that’s what makes the current state of Application Security and API Security so fascinating. The reality is these threats are still a major (not to mention costly) problem for many online businesses. And as consumers, we see the ramifications of automated threats and bot attacks all the time.
My first exposure to bots happened years ago. I remember trying to buy tickets to see Lady Gaga in concert as a surprise for my wife’s birthday. I was at the edge of my seat at 9:59 am, ready for the pre-sale to go live and purchase tickets, only to be defeated by bots.
The Impact: Online Consumers and Online Businesses
The unfortunate truth is that bots are a problem we can all relate to now – even if it is just that your newsfeed is filled with chatter about Elon Musk’s problems with bots on Twitter. For the consumer, stolen credentials, a compromised credit card, loyalty program points that mysteriously vanish, or the PS5 you wanted to buy for a holiday gift last year, an out-of-stock item that costs 5x the price to purchase are all a result of malicious automation and bots.
For online businesses, there are real costs and real impacts to ongoing operations. We have witnessed situations where Kasada customers have realized that more than 60% of their entire web traffic consists of malicious bots. In many cases, these customers did not know that they had a problem until our team at Kasada brought it to their attention.
The impact of malicious bots includes:
- Significantly higher infrastructure costs (due to paying for bot traffic instead of just legitimate customer traffic)
- Masking of true business metrics (total web traffic, conversion rates, etc.)
- Downtime and poor website/mobile app performance
- Fraud losses due to account takeover and account abuse (we have seen these cost companies hundreds of millions of dollars)
- Reputational risk and damage to brand
The Right Solution: Fraudsters Follow the Money
Throughout my experience in the data protection and cybersecurity industries, I have learned just how vulnerable static defenses can be to sophisticated adversaries. Threat actors will find a way to work around and bypass defenses. Attackers will focus and render traditional defenses useless where there is a chance for significant financial benefit. They follow the money. Most online businesses won’t even see it happening to them until it is too late. The ramifications of this downstream can be dire for businesses, adding even more pressure to already strained resources and budgets.
Kasada’s proactive and preventative approach – with its dynamic defense and actionable threat intelligence – changes the economic equation for attackers, as there is no longer a static target in play for them. Kasada-protected online businesses become too expensive to attack, and attackers move on to softer targets. This is our competitive advantage.
The Right People: A Talented Team of Builders and Breakers
Kasada is a company of builders and breakers. I just so happen to be a builder and have spent much of my career building sales teams and channel programs from scratch. Because of that, I believe in partnering with customers to get the best outcomes. Kasada is an incredible company to do just that. We have happy customers that we’ve truly partnered with, and I look forward to building upon those relationships.
As I’ve gotten to know the team, I see why Kasada recently won a 2022 Best Places to Work award. The culture at Kasada is unparalleled. The company understands that flexibility is critical, and everyone is set up for success to do their best work.
We have really smart people who are some of the best in the world in their domain, working on projects on a massive scale. We are all on the same mission to rid the Internet of bad bots. That kind of relevance and mission-driven purpose is something I’m excited to be a part of.
The Right Time: Online Businesses Urgently Need Protection Against Automated Threats
It’s clear that companies who do business online need a solution that effectively defends against bots – not just for an optimal customer experience, but also for their bottom line. They need a solution that’s simple to use, hard to defeat, does not require resources to tune/manage, and provides a frictionless digital experience.
Kasada is a proven next-generation technology that disrupts the status quo for bot management and application solutions. Our approach is fundamentally different from competitive solutions that are rule-based, put the onus on customers, and do not provide adequate security protection against the most advanced attacks.
I joined Kasada because it delivers on its promise for customers – to stop bad bots for good. Kasada not only saves customers time and money, but it actually increases the return on their investment, which technology teams need to prove in today’s environment.
If you’re looking for a new challenge with brilliant people and incredible innovative technology, feel free to reach out or apply to our open roles – we’re hiring!
