The Rise of Social Media Bots

Why Bots?

It is estimated that 9-15% of active Twitter accounts may be social bots. 

Bots

Around 400,000 bots incorporate for about 

3.8 million tweets, roughly 19% of the total volume

On web servers, it is estimated that 50%+ (more than half of all) web traffic is made up of bots on social media bots.

Twitter Bots

As Social Media Bots increase in usage and utility, malicious behavior and misdeeds via Social Media Bots are also likely to increase. 

Elections in 2016 and 2017, in the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Germany, have drawn a spotlight on this malicious and ill activity of Social Media Bots.

Bots: 

A bot or Internet bot is not some kind of robot.

It's a software application that runs so-called scripts small programs, that perform automated tasks.

Allow the user to establish a set of parameters (Like, Share, Comment, Retweet) using programming language within an application or program, which the Social Media Bot then executes without human interaction.

Steps of working:  

1. Web Crawl: It is an Internet bot that systematically browses or crawls over the Web for Web indexing
   
   
2. Automated Script (Fetches) -> File Information: Helps in launching point, variables with corresponding binding values, and the source code.
   
   

   Generates library scripts, which are reusable pieces of programming language

   
   
   
3. Analyzes: Bot analytic is the real-time data that the bots generate through their interaction with humans.
   
   
   

   

   analytics

   
   
4. Automation: Process or procedure for minimalization of human efforts.

Strategies used by Bots:

1. Amplifying certain opinions
   
   
2. Flooding the discourse: This tactic is often observed in disinformation campaigns (where large amounts of “fake news”- outlets create a new media ecosystem).
   
   
3. Linking issues to current tensions: Link debates to current tensions thus causing divide as seen within the vaccine debate.
   
   and a few more...

BOTS are indeed used for political purposes as well they can influence the discussion about military conflicts or elections. 

Bots Signature Behaviors:

1. Congregation of Bots: Bots often congregate together,
   
   

   Act with randomness and discreteness, making them easier to identify 

    

2. Specific Content: Bots tend to use emoticons, exclamation points, or other content
   
   

   In more regular patterns as compared to human users on social media

    

3. Activity Levels: Bots often have higher levels of activity (generally automated Social Media Bots) as compared to human social media behavior.
   
   

Attacking Methods of Bots: 

1. Click Farming or Like Farming: A click farm is a form of click fraud, where a large group of low-paid workers is hired to click on paid advertising links for the click fraudster (click farm master or click farmer). 
   
   
2. Hashtag Highjacking: When Hashtag that a brand sets up to generate positive sentiments.
   
   Real-time marketing practice by allowing the use of trending hashtags to gain visibility on social media.
   
   

   One of the most notorious business situations of hashtag hijacking happened to McDonald's

    

3. Repost Storm: To execute a multiplication by reposting, that associate botnet, instantly reposts.
   
   
4. Sleeper Bots: Stay dormant for long periods of time, later getting activated, launch their attack of thousands of posts or retweets in a short period of time, then return to a dormant state.
   
   
5. Trend Jacking and Watering Hole Attack: Use top trending topics to focus on an intended audience for targeting purposes.

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