How to Block Bad Bots on Your WordPress Website
The internet is full of block-bad bots that perform a variety of automated tasks. Some bots are useful, for example, search engine crawlers or bots designed to scan websites and collect data, but others are malicious or spammy. Bad bots can be used for a wide range of attacks including denial-of-service attacks, brute force password attacks, data theft, and stealing intellectual property. These bots are often controlled by massive botnets composed of compromised devices like IP cameras and routers. According to the 2022 Imperva Incapsula report, bad bots are most common among classified sites, eCommerce, marketplaces, and ticketing services.
Defending Your Website: A Guide to Effectively Block Bad Bots
Blocking these bots can be very difficult, especially if your site uses a variety of plugins that allow users to access your website through a variety of methods including APIs and mobile apps. Many of these bots use device spoofing to make themselves look like genuine human traffic. They also change their IP addresses, name themselves after browsers and software everyone uses (like Safari), and fend off detection through advanced techniques such as fingerprinting and header manipulation.
If you run a vulnerable WordPress website, the best way to protect yourself against bad bots is by blocking their IPs and usernames using our Local Brute Force Protection feature in iThemes Security Pro. Additionally, you can opt-in to our blocklist network where your lists will be shared and blocked by other iThemes Security Pro users around the world. This will significantly reduce the number of bots you are exposed to.