Bot attacks

[Tom Wells]

I read recently that around 40% of the total global internet traffic is bots - those automated programs that try to get onto web sites and steal user lists, data and generally seem to try to disrupt any web site they can. A few of them are somewhat legitimate and respectful such as Google or Bing, trying to provide search data for your internet searches. Lately there are "scrapers," things that plant viruses, and other things that are programmed to leave spam or steal user information.

I thought, so what?

Well, until the last week or so.

Then I began to notice there were dozens of "guests" looking at the web site. Then hundreds...

Most of them seem to be amazonaws (yes, that Amazon) and claudebots. Probably mostly set in motion by Russia and China using Amazon's ip address ranges. Amazon seems to have no interest in stopping them for some reason.

I've tried several ways of getting rid of them but as you can see on the opening screen there are still hundreds trying to log in at all times. I'll keep looking for methods to make them go away.

In the meantime if the web site slows down, you'll know why.

Sorry 'bout that,

Tom

[BlackSnake]

Wow, I had no idea the bots were/are so prevalent…

[Tom Wells]

Update: as I type there are 1135 bots trying to log in...

From internet reading most of them are Russian and Chinese. If I get some time to waste I'll try to verify that. Not today.

Sigh...

[mooreken]

That would explain why some of our posts have thousands of views.....and here I thought it was my content.....

[Tom Wells]

LOL!

At the moment there are more than 1400 pecking on the web site. I'd love to identify a person...

[Tom Wells]

Now there are more than 5,000 of them. It does seem to slow down the server - can't help wondering why they pick on this site?

Maybe they're stoopid or maybe they're evil? Or both?

You can tell they're getting my goat

[Tom Wells]

Very interesting observations today.

This morning the number of bots banging on the web site's front door dropped precipitously to about 100. Nice!

This afternoon they picked up dramatically to a new record high of 10,088 at about 1:30.

I suspect most of the bots are being hosted by - wait for it - Amazon!

Even though I think they originate from China and Russia it appears they use Amazon to transmit their dirty work...

I'm going to think twice before ordering from that company from now on.