Exposing Bots and API Scanners with ZeroWeb Defense Sensor
David Park
Web Security Lead at AnansiTraps, former lead security engineer at major e-commerce platform.
Follow the authorModern web applications face a constant barrage of automated attacks. From credential stuffing to API abuse, malicious bots and scanners test your defenses 24/7. ZeroWeb Defense Sensor turns these automated attacks against the attackers by deploying intelligent web lures that expose malicious actors.
The Automated Attack Epidemic
Over 40% of web traffic is now generated by bots, and malicious bots account for nearly 25% of all internet traffic. Traditional web application firewalls (WAF) and bot management solutions rely on signatures and behavioral patterns—techniques that sophisticated attackers easily bypass with distributed, low-and-slow attacks.
Introducing ZeroWeb Defense Sensor
Our web deception technology creates realistic lures—hidden endpoints, fake APIs, and honey pages—that attract automated scanners and bots. When malicious actors interact with these decoys, ZeroWeb immediately identifies and blocks them while providing intelligence about their techniques and objectives.
We were shocked to discover how many automated attacks we were missing. ZeroWeb revealed attackers probing our APIs weeks before they attempted actual exploitation. We blocked them before they could cause any damage.
Deception Capabilities for Web Applications
- Hidden Endpoints: Deploy invisible API endpoints that only scanners can find, instantly identifying malicious actors
- Honey Pages: Create believable but fake pages that attract bot traffic and credential stuffing attempts
- Fake APIs: Simulated API endpoints that respond to requests but serve as detection traps
- Decoy Credentials: Embed fake credentials in your frontend that attackers will attempt to use
- Honeytoken Links: Links placed in error pages or JavaScript that trigger alerts when followed
How ZeroWeb Protects Your Applications
ZeroWeb Defense Sensor integrates seamlessly with your existing web applications:
- Deploy Deception Layer: Our JavaScript snippet or reverse proxy adds deception without code changes
- Analyze Traffic Patterns: Machine learning identifies legitimate user vs. bot behaviors
- Deploy Targeted Lures: Dynamically deploy decoys based on observed attack patterns
- Block Malicious Actors: Automatically block IPs and sessions that interact with decoys
- Provide Attack Intelligence: Detailed reports on attacker techniques, targeting, and persistence
Threats ZeroWeb Exposes
- Credential Stuffing: Detects when bots test stolen credentials against login decoys
- API Scanners: Identifies tools probing your API structure and endpoints
- Web Vulnerability Scanners: Catches automated tools looking for SQL injection, XSS, and other vulnerabilities
- Data Scrapers: Detects bots attempting to harvest content or user data
- Account Takeover Attempts: Identifies when attackers target specific user accounts
ZeroWeb Defense Sensor doesn't just block bad actors—it provides complete visibility into who is targeting your applications, what they're looking for, and how they operate. This intelligence allows you to strengthen your defenses and anticipate future attacks.
Stop reacting to web attacks after they've already impacted your business. With ZeroWeb, you can detect and block malicious actors before they ever touch your production applications.
Leave a comment
Tom Harris
3 weeks agoWe implemented ZeroWeb last month and caught a credential stuffing attack within 24 hours. The attackers were using our decoy login page while we traced their IPs. Incredible technology!
Rachel Green
4 weeks agoThe honey page concept is clever. Does it require JavaScript to be enabled, or can it work with server-side decoys as well?
David Kim
4 weeks agoWe're seeing a massive increase in API scanning attempts. Traditional WAFs just aren't cutting it. How does ZeroWeb handle GraphQL endpoints?
David Park
4 weeks ago@ David Kim @David Kim Great question! ZeroWeb fully supports GraphQL endpoints. We deploy decoy GraphQL schemas and mutations that look legitimate but alert on any interaction. The sensor can detect introspection queries and schema scraping attempts as well.