Page 121 - Cyber Defense eMagazine January 2023

mostly hear about the ones created for malicious purposes. The truth is that they are the future of
cybercrime but also cybersecurity.

While bad bots make up the majority of bot traffic, there are still plenty of good bots online whose purpose
is to bring value to the users and creator. Bismarts lists the ten best bots available on the internet right
now, and you would be surprised how intertwined with your world they are. From getting breaking news
straight to your phone to using bots to learn a new language through Duolingo or even getting recipe
suggestions based on the ingredients you have available; these bots are here to make our lives easier.
Unfortunately, no matter how much we would like that, not all bot creators plan to use them for good
purposes.

Ticket Bots Endangering Different Industries

When considering ticket bots, most people are aware of their dangers in the event industry, especially
regarding high-value concerts and sports events. The recent Taylor Swift fiasco proves their point. When
the presale of tickets for the Taylor Swift Eras Tour opened on November 15, it was supposed to be
available only for 1.5 million verified Taylor Swift fans. Instead, 14 million people, primarily bots, tried to
access the site, causing it to crash while selling 2 million tickets in just one day. Many of these tickets
appeared on third-party sites reselling for as high as $28,000, resulting in angry fans.

But malicious ticketing bots will not stop only at targeting high-value events. They can cause damage in
different industries, for example, the airline sector. By utilizing ticket bots, malicious actors can reserve
flight seats without completing the purchase, taking away the opportunity from genuine customers and
raising the prices. The potential customers that tried to purchase the tickets will leave the attacked site
and try their luck with the competitors.
Often, malicious actors will use stolen identity data and credit card information to purchase tickets via
ticketing bots, resulting in even more innocent victims. Once the legitimate card owner discovers their
card has been used without their permission, they will request a chargeback from their card provider. Not
only does this mean that ticketing agents will lose their revenue, but once they cancel tickets that were
purchased with stolen funds, innocent customers that bought those tickets from the resale sites will also
suffer. Fraudsters will be long gone with their profits while leaving ticketing agents to deal with the
consequences.

Cyber Defense eMagazine – January 2023 Edition 121
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