Akamai Launches Content Protector to Safeguard Against Scraping Attacks

Akamai Technologies, Inc., a leading cloud services provider renowned for powering and safeguarding online activities, has unveiled its latest offering: Content Protector. This innovative product aims to counter scraping attacks effectively while preserving essential web traffic vital for business growth.

Scraping bots, while integral to the digital commerce landscape, often serve dual purposes. They assist in sourcing new content, comparing products on various platforms, and ensuring customers receive up-to-date information. However, these bots can also be wielded maliciously for activities such as competitive price manipulation, pre-emptive inventory hoarding schemes, and the proliferation of counterfeit goods and websites. Moreover, their incessant pinging of websites can hamper site performance, leading to customer dissatisfaction and site abandonment. Over time, scrapers have evolved to become increasingly sophisticated and evasive, posing a formidable challenge to businesses.

The Akamai Content Protector offers a robust defense against these threats by detecting and mitigating evasive scrapers engaged in illicit content extraction. It boasts enhanced detection capabilities, resulting in fewer false negatives without compromising on the rate of false positives. Specifically tailored for organizations seeking to safeguard their intellectual property, reputation, and revenue streams, Content Protector employs a multifaceted approach to detection, including:

1. Protocol-level Assessment: By scrutinizing the negotiation parameters between clients and servers across various layers of the OSI model, this feature verifies the alignment with standard web browser and mobile application behaviors.
2. Application-level Assessment: Evaluates the client’s ability to execute JavaScript-based business logic, thereby gathering device and browser characteristics for comparison with protocol-level data.
3. User Interaction Analysis: Examines human interactions with the client interface through conventional peripherals, detecting anomalies indicative of bot traffic.
4. User Behavior Monitoring: Tracks user journeys within the website, distinguishing between legitimate and bot-driven traffic based on behavioral patterns.
5. Risk Classification: Provides a comprehensive risk assessment—categorized as low, medium, or high—based on the anomalies detected during evaluation.

Rupesh Chokshi, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Application Security at Akamai, highlighted the detrimental impact of content scraping on businesses. “Content scraping poses significant threats, including undercutting by competitors, deteriorating site performance leading to customer dissatisfaction, and brand erosion due to counterfeit activities,” Chokshi explained. “Content Protector not only enhances security but also demonstrates tangible business value, empowering leaders to drive digital growth with confidence.”

With Content Protector, Akamai continues to reinforce its commitment to delivering cutting-edge solutions that enable businesses to thrive in an increasingly complex digital landscape. By effectively mitigating scraping attacks without impeding legitimate web traffic, organizations can safeguard their assets and foster sustained growth in the online realm.