Attackers Flood NPM Repository with Over 15,000 Spam Packages Containing Phishing Links

In what's a continuing assault on the open source ecosystem, over 15,000 spam packages have flooded the npm repository in an attempt to distribute phishing links. "The packages were created using automated processes, with project descriptions and auto-generated names that closely resembled one...

40% of online shops tricking users with “dark patterns”

The European Commission has been looking at retail websites to see if they're misleading consumers with "dark patterns". Spoiler: Yes, they are. The Commission, along with the national consumer protection authorities of 23 EU member states, plus Norway and Iceland, have released the results of...

4 Bad Bots Likely to Cause Problems for the Remainder of 2022

A short primer on internet bots An Internet bot bot, for short is a software application that runs automated tasks over the internet. Bots typically run simple tasks which they can perform at a dramatically greater rate than any human. Beneficial or anodyne bots are characterized as legitimate, o...

Scalpers, and their bot armies, swing in to net web-based Spiderman tickets

29 November 2021 was “Spider Monday” and tickets for Marvel’s film Spider-Man: No Way Home went on sale with the sort of marketing fervor for which Disney and the Marvel Cinematic Universe MCU are famous. As tickets to one of the most eagerly anticipated Christmas films featuring one of the most...

How to defend your website against card skimmers

Black Friday and the holiday season are approaching, and shoppers are forecast to spend record amounts again this year. Retail websites big and small can expect a lot of interest from shoppers looking for deals, and a lot of interest from cybercriminals looking to cash in on those shoppers, by...

Device Hopping Shoppers Drive Up Bounce Rates Leading Into Holiday 2019

Executive Summary In 2018, Akamai reported for the first time that shoppers used mobile devices more than desktops for all the major peak traffic events we measured. Interestingly, they often don't complete their purchase on a mobile device. If the most recently concluded back-to-school shopping...