Bot activity has become one of the most disruptive and costly security challenges for e-commerce retailers. What began a decade ago as relatively simple scripts scraping prices or testing stolen passwords has evolved into a sophisticated, AI-enabled threat landscape. As we move into 2026, bot attacks are no longer crude or easily detected. They are adaptive, human-like and capable of bypassing traditional web application firewalls (WAFs) and CAPTCHA systems. For retailers attending the eCommerce Forum, Bot Threats 3.0 represent a serious operational, financial and reputational risk, and require an equally advanced defence strategy…
AI-Powered Bots: Smarter, Faster, Harder to Detect
Today’s malicious bots use machine learning to mimic genuine users with remarkable accuracy. They can replicate mouse movements, randomise behaviour patterns, switch devices and proxies autonomously, and even imitate multi-step authentication flows.
Key attacks include:
- Credential stuffing & account takeover using stolen or breached credentials
- Scalping and inventory hoarding for high-demand products
- Card testing to identify valid payment details
- Price scraping to undercut competitors
- Gift card fraud
- Fake account creation to exploit sign-up offers
Because these bots behave more like humans than ever before, signature-based defences are no longer effective.
Why Traditional Mitigation Falls Short
Static rules, IP blocking, challenge-based authentication and legacy bot filters cannot keep up with adaptive AI-driven tools. Attackers rotate identities, use residential proxies, and respond dynamically to blocks.
Even CAPTCHAs, once the go-to defence, are increasingly ineffective, with bots using vision models to solve them faster than humans.
Retailers need a new class of defences that focus on behavioural intelligence, device risk, and real-time anomaly detection.
Behavioural Analytics: The New Backbone of Bot Defence
Instead of relying on surface identifiers, modern bot management solutions assess:
- Micro-behaviours such as typing cadence, scroll velocity and gesture patterns
- Device integrity signals and spoofing attempts
- Network behaviour and proxy analysis
- Historical account usage patterns
- Impossible travel and suspicious login fingerprints
- AI-generated traffic anomalies
By analysing these signals holistically, platforms can distinguish between legitimate shoppers and bots with high accuracy, without adding friction for genuine customers.
Stopping Fraud Before Checkout
Advanced bot management now integrates with identity systems, fraud engines and payment gateways, enabling retailers to:
- Block credential stuffing before login
- Stop automated checkout bots at the cart stage
- Prevent fake account creation
- Detect card testing from compromised devices
- Protect stock levels and prevent scalping
This proactive, layered approach reduces fraud losses and protects revenue.
With margins tightening and digital commerce more competitive than ever, retailers must treat bot defence as a core component of their security and CX strategies. Bot Threats 3.0 are only growing in sophistication, and the organisations that invest now will be the ones capable of protecting customers, inventory and brand reputation in the years ahead.
Are you searching for IT Security solutions for your organisation? The eCommerce Forum and Smarter Payments Summit can help!
Photo by Martin Franco on Unsplash
