The Bot Baseline Fraud in Digital Advertising

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ADWARE: NOT ALL AD FRAUD IS ROBOTICAdware is software, often automaticallyinstalled on user devices, that servesvisible or hidden ads to users to boostad consumption.For several study participants,a significant amount of adware-enabledactivity that occurred was classifiedas ad fraud, not bot fraud.The adware traffickers did not usebots to create the undesirable adimpressions. However, the adwareactivity was unsanctioned, fraudulent,and harmful to everyday computerusers and advertisers. The adwarerepresented enormous revenue to thepublishers for impressions that wereundesirable to the advertisers.The adware that affected theseparticipants was very similar to bots.The main difference was that the adwarecreated a pop-under window visibleto the user until the user closed thepop-under, at which point the adwarecontinued to operate in the backgroundwithout the user’s knowledge.CASE STUDYAdware Preys on Everyday Computer Usersand Consumes Digital Media BudgetsOne participant’s video ad campaign was delivered via 10 million adwareimpressions from a single adware trafficker within the first week of the study.Of the campaign‘s nearly 90 million impressions, 7 percent were natural humanimpressions, and 93 percent were fraud.29%BotTraffic+64%=AdwareTraffic93%TotalFraudThe publisher of the adware provided a video ad-supported service thatrequired the user to download adware software and, in some cases, wasseen to pay for the non-consensual installation of the adware software onunsuspecting users’ computers. The adware ran ads continuously in a browserin the background of the user’s computer, one video at a time. In most cases,the ads were entirely hidden from the user.The adware initially showed a pop-under to the user that played video ads. Theadware changed the volume for itself to zero while playing audio, leaving volumecontrols for other software untouched. After the user closed the pop-up, theadware continued playing ads with silenced audio. After restart and login ofthe user’s computer, the adware software autoplayed video ads regardlessof whether the user reopened the adware site or application. The adware’sautoplay functionality was unsanctioned and uncontrollable by the user.24
ADWARE: NOT ALL ATTACKS ARE THE SAMECASE STUDYAdware Attacks Vary in SeverityA second adware site autoplayed video ads without sound, but only when theuser could see the ads. This adware did not continue playing ads to completionwhen the user closed the ad pop-up, allowing the user more control. In thiscase, of a CPG participant’s seven million impressions, 59 percent were naturalhuman impressions and 41 percent were fraud.24%Bot Traffic+17%=AdwareTraffic41%TotalFraudTRAFFIC BREAKDOWN FOR ONE PARTICIPANT’S VIDEO CAMPAIGNS25
Page 1 and 2: The Bot Baseline:Fraud in DigitalAd
Page 3 and 4: Special Thanks to the FollowingANA
Page 5 and 6: ABOUT THE STUDY
Page 7 and 8: BOTS ARE EVERYWHERE...BUT NOT IN EQ
Page 9 and 10: HOW WE USED THE DATAThis study is a
Page 11 and 12: BOTS WERE IN EVERY KINDOF CAMPAIGN
Page 13 and 14: BOT FRAUD VARIES OVER TIMENot all b
Page 15 and 16: BOT TRAFFIC VARIES BY DOMAIN CATEGO
Page 17 and 18: SOURCING TRAFFIC INCREASESBOT LEVEL
Page 19 and 20: BOTS GET INTO PREMIUM BUYSSignifica
Page 21 and 22: TO REDUCE BOTS IN PREMIUM CAMPAIGNS
Page 23: BOTS ARE BUILT TO FOOL ALL STAKEHOL
Page 27 and 28: BOTNET CONTROLLERS HIJACK EVERYDAYU
Page 29 and 30: BOTS FAKED ALL OF THE ENGAGEMENT AN
Page 31 and 32: BOTS ARE GETTING TARGETED AND RETAR
Page 33 and 34: HOW BOTSUPPLIERS GETAWAY WITH IT:EV
Page 35 and 36: BOT SUPPLIERS ACTIVELY DISGUISE BOT
Page 37 and 38: SITES THAT ONLYA BOT COULDLOVE37
Page 39 and 40: BOT SUPPLIERS ARE WATCHING YOUBot t
Page 41 and 42: WHEN PUBLISHERSARE VICTIMS TOO:AD I
Page 43 and 44: AD INJECTIONDEGRADES THEQUALITY OFT
Page 45 and 46: BOTNET OPERATORS ARE ALREADYDEFEATI
Page 47 and 48: Action Plan for All StakeholdersCre
Page 49 and 50: Action Plan for Buyers(Continued)Ap
Page 51 and 52: Who is your real audience:BOB SMITH
Page 53 and 54: Appendix AGlossary of Terms (Contin
Page 55 and 56: Appendix BConstraints and Limitatio
Page 57: Appendix DIllustrative Terms and Co

The Bot Baseline Fraud in Digital Advertising

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