Bot

What Is Bot?

Bots are software applications that can perform missions automatically according to programmed instructions. They can often mimic the behavior of a human user to complete a task based on instructions and are more efficient and accurate.

Bots typically run over a network and often perform repetitive missions, such as scanning Internet content, finding targets, simulating conversations, etc. Depending on the nature of the task, Bots can be benign or malicious.

How Does Bot Work?

A bot will typically work through the workflow described below.

1. Programming: The developer writes the code that defines the bot, including the tasks it needs to perform and the corresponding methods.

2. Deployment: After programming, the bot will be deployed on a server, user device or other network environment.

3. Execution: After being activated, the bot will perform tasks according to previously set commands.

4. Feedback Loop: Bots typically need to interact with APIs and user interfaces to perform tasks. Some bots can learn from interactions and update their algorithms through feedback loops.

Common Categories of Bots

Benign Bots

Benign bots are created to perform useful tasks for users. You can find them across various famous industries and applications.

・Chatbots: Good at simulating conversation with users and answering their questions. The most advanced language models - ChatGPT 4o and ChatGPT 4- can even interact with voice and pictures.

・Web Crawlers: Help Search Engines(like Google) index webpages by automatically browsing the internet, scanning, and collecting content.

・Social Media Bots: Used to send posts, follow new users, like posts, and even add comments automatically on various platforms.

・Trading Bots: Used in financial markets to make quick trades based on predefined criteria or algorithms.

Malicious Bots

Malicious bots are used by lawbreakers or hackers to create attacks or other nefarious activities.

・Spambots: Send spam messages via emails, social media, or other platforms.

・Click Bots: Automatically click the ads to create revenue for the ad publisher.

・DDoS Bots: Part of botnets. Every malware-infected computer will become a bot, and be used to perform malicious attacks.

・Credential Stuffing Bots: Use credentials obtained from a data breach, including username and password, to log in to other services.