Akamai Announces Content Protector to Stop Scraping Attacks

Rhea-AI Summary

Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM) has announced the availability of Content Protector, a product designed to stop scraping attacks without blocking legitimate traffic. The product helps detect and mitigate evasive scrapers that steal content for malicious purposes, offering improved site performance, enhanced user experience, and protection of intellectual property. It provides tailored detections that include protocol-level assessment, application-level assessment, user interaction analysis, user behavior monitoring, and risk classification. According to Rupesh Chokshi, SVP and GM, Application Security at Akamai, Content Protector is more than just a security tool; it's a business enabler that safeguards digital assets from scraping threats, prevents competitors from undercutting offers, enhances site performance, and protects brands from counterfeiters.

Cybersecurity Expert

The introduction of Akamai's Content Protector is a significant development in the realm of cybersecurity. As businesses increasingly operate online, the threat posed by sophisticated scraping bots has escalated. These bots, while beneficial in some aspects of data aggregation and comparison shopping, have been weaponized for malicious activities such as competitive undercutting and counterfeiting. The financial implications of such attacks can be substantial, affecting a company's revenue and damaging its brand reputation.

Content Protector's approach to mitigating these threats involves a multi-layered assessment that includes protocol fingerprinting, application-level checks, user interaction analysis and behavior monitoring. This comprehensive strategy is designed to accurately differentiate between legitimate users and malicious bots. The product's potential to reduce false negatives without increasing false positives is particularly noteworthy, as it suggests a higher precision in identifying threats, which is crucial for maintaining user trust and minimizing disruptions to legitimate traffic.

The direct business value of such a tool lies in its ability to protect intellectual property and enhance site performance. This can lead to improved customer engagement, reduced risk of revenue loss from competitive undercutting and a stronger brand image free from associations with counterfeit goods. As a result, companies employing Content Protector could see a competitive advantage in the market, which in turn could positively influence their stock performance.

Market Research Analyst

From a market perspective, Akamai's launch of Content Protector could be seen as a response to the evolving needs of the digital marketplace. The increasing sophistication of bots has created a niche demand for advanced protective measures that can safeguard a company's online assets. As a market research analyst, it's important to recognize that businesses are seeking solutions that can provide security without compromising on user experience or performance.

Content Protector's ability to enhance site performance and user experience while offering robust protection could position Akamai advantageously within the cybersecurity market. This product not only addresses the immediate concerns of content scraping but also aligns with the broader trend towards comprehensive digital asset protection. The ripple effect of this could be an increased demand for Akamai's services, potentially leading to growth in market share and an uptick in investor confidence.

Furthermore, as businesses become more aware of the risks associated with digital content scraping, products like Content Protector could become integral to their operational security strategies. This shift in business priorities could lead to long-term partnerships and recurring revenue streams for Akamai, contributing to the company's financial stability and attractiveness to investors.

Financial Analyst

Assessing the financial impact of Akamai's Content Protector requires an understanding of the product's potential to generate revenue and reduce costs associated with security breaches. The costs of scraping attacks are not trivial; they can include legal fees, loss of competitive advantage and remediation expenses. By preventing such attacks, Content Protector could reduce these costs significantly, improving the bottom line for businesses.

Content Protector's tailored detection features suggest a customized approach, which could command a premium price point and potentially increase Akamai's average revenue per user (ARPU). The product's launch could also be a strategic move to differentiate Akamai's offerings in a crowded cybersecurity market, which may lead to an expansion of its customer base.

Investors should monitor the adoption rate of Content Protector and its impact on Akamai's financials. An increase in sales or service contracts related to this product could signal revenue growth and possibly an upward trend in Akamai's stock price. Conversely, if adoption is slow or the product fails to deliver on its promises, it could have a negative impact on investor sentiment and the company's financial performance.

The first scraper-specific product tailored to the unique characteristics of scraping attacks.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM), the cloud company that powers and protects life online, today announced the availability of Content Protector, a product that stops scraping attacks without blocking the good traffic that companies need to enhance their business.

Scraper bots are a critical and often productive part of the commerce ecosystem. These bots search for new content, highlight products in comparison sites, and gather updated product information to share with customers. Unfortunately, scrapers also get used for harmful purposes such as competitive undercutting, surveillance before inventory hoarding attacks, and counterfeiting goods and websites. Scrapers also ping sites 24/7 unless stopped — so they can degrade site performance, which in turn frustrates consumers and causes them to abandon their visits. In addition, scrapers have become much more evasive and sophisticated over the past few years.

Akamai Content Protector helps detect and mitigate evasive scrapers that steal content for malicious purposes. It enables improved site performance, an enhanced user experience and protection of intellectual property while facilitating significantly better detections and fewer false negatives without increasing the rate of false positives. The product is designed for companies that need to protect their reputation and revenue potential. It offers tailored detections that include:

• Protocol-level assessment: Protocol fingerprinting checks how visitors connect to your site to ensure they're legitimate. It evaluates how the client establishes the connection with the server at the different layers of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model — verifying that the parameters negotiated align with the one expected from the most common web browsers and mobile applications.
• Application-level assessment: Evaluates if the client can run some business logic written in JavaScript. When the client runs JavaScript, it collects the device and browser characteristics and user preferences. These various data points are compared and cross-checked against the protocol-level data to verify consistency.
• User interaction: Analyzes user interactions to distinguish between human and bot traffic. It assesses how users interact with devices such as touch screens, keyboards, and mouse, identifying bots through their lack of interaction or abnormal usage patterns.
• User behavior: Monitors visitor behavior on your website to identify unusual patterns indicative of bots.
• Risk classification: Provides a deterministic and actionable low-, medium-, or high-risk classification of the traffic, based on the anomalies found during the evaluation.

"Content Protector is more than just a security tool; it's a business enabler," says Rupesh Chokshi, SVP and GM, Application Security at Akamai. "By safeguarding your digital assets from scraping threats, it prevents competitors from undercutting your offers, enhances site performance to keep customers engaged, and protects your brand from counterfeiters. Content Protector provides direct business value to grow your digital business with confidence."

About Akamai

Akamai powers and protects life online. Leading companies worldwide choose Akamai to build, deliver, and secure their digital experiences — helping billions of people live, work, and play every day. Akamai Connected Cloud, a massively distributed edge and cloud platform, puts apps and experiences closer to users and keeps threats farther away. Learn more about Akamai's cloud computing, security, and content delivery solutions at akamai.com and akamai.com/blog, or follow Akamai Technologies on X, formerly Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Contact
Jim Lubinskas
Akamai Media Relations
703.907.9103
jlubinsk@akamai.com 

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SOURCE Akamai Technologies, Inc.

What is the purpose of Content Protector?

Content Protector is designed to stop scraping attacks without blocking legitimate traffic, offering improved site performance, enhanced user experience, and protection of intellectual property.

What does the product offer in terms of detections?

The product provides tailored detections that include protocol-level assessment, application-level assessment, user interaction analysis, user behavior monitoring, and risk classification.

Who is Rupesh Chokshi?

Rupesh Chokshi is the SVP and GM, Application Security at Akamai.

What are the benefits of Content Protector?

Content Protector safeguards digital assets from scraping threats, prevents competitors from undercutting offers, enhances site performance, and protects brands from counterfeiters.