Retail websites faced over half a million (569,884) AI attacks per day, according to a recent six-month analysis by cybersecurity firm Imperva.
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These attacks come from artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, along with specialized bots designed to exploit websites for LLM training data.
The Thales-owned company has observed a range of AI-based threats , including bots, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, API breaches and business logic abuse
As the holiday season approaches, retailers expect to experience their busiest sales period yet. AI-based attacks could disrupt operations, compromise customer data, and tarnish retailers’ reputations.
In its research, the company identified business logic abuse as the most common AI-based attack, accounting for 30.7% of all incidents.
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Business logic abuse involves exploiting the legitimate functions of an application or API to perform malicious actions, such as price manipulation, authentication bypassing, or abusing discount codes.
DDoS attacks , which aim to overwhelm a website's resources, accounted for 30.6% of all AI-driven threats to retailers.
Cybercriminals are now leveraging AI technology to coordinate large botnets more efficiently, enhancing the effectiveness of these attacks.
Malicious bot attacks account for 20.8% of AI-based threats. These automated threats engage in disruptive activities such as billing data scraping, credential stuffing, and scalping.
The infamous Grinch bot is known for stockpiling during the holiday shopping season, making it increasingly difficult for consumers to purchase high-demand items.
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In today’s digital age, securing retail websites is paramount. Cybersecurity threats pose significant risks to both retailers and consumers ,requiring stringent measures to protect sensitive data. Retailers must implement secure payment gateways, use encryption technologies, and maintain up-to-date security protocols to protect consumer information. Additionally, educating customers about safe online shopping practices, such as recognizing phishing and using strong, unique passwords, enhances overall security.
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Source: infosecurity-magazine
