The Truth About Why Server-Side Bot Management Beats Client-Side
As a security professional considering a robust bot defense strategy, it’s important to understand the ever-evolving nature of bot threats and the critical need for a scalable, robust solution.
Traditionally, businesses rely on agent-based bot management solutions, also known as client-side or front-end detection, by deploying small pieces of software (agents) on customer devices to detect malicious activity.
However, these approaches carry significant risks. As bots grow more sophisticated, businesses are realizing the limitations of client-side detection. Today, many forward-thinking businesses are transitioning to server-side bot management, a solution that is more secure, efficient, and future-proof.
In this post, we’ll explore why Netacea’s server-side bot management is a superior solution for bot defense. We’ll also debunk common myths about server-side bot management and TLS fingerprinting and explain why our agentless detection method is ideal for businesses looking to reduce risk and improve protection.
The Pitfalls of Client-Side vs. Server-Side Bot Management
Client-side or agent-based detection methods rely on placing software directly onto customer devices, often in the form of JavaScript or SDKs, which comes with several inherent weaknesses. Modern bots increasingly bypass client-side solutions through a variety of methods, making them ineffective. Here’s why relying on client-side detection is risky compared to server-side bot management:
Easily Bypassed by Bots
One of the primary challenges with client-side detection is that bots can reverse-engineer client-side security mechanisms. MITRE’s CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) item 602 “Client-Side Enforcement of Server-Side Security” describes this is in detail.
Popular client-side defenses such as browser fingerprinting and JavaScript challenges can all be de-obfuscated and reverse-engineered by sophisticated attackers. Once attackers uncover the inner workings of these defenses, they can easily bypass them. Server-side bot management, however, protects against reverse engineering because the defense mechanisms are housed securely on the server, where attackers have no access.
Widespread Availability of Bypasses
Bot developers are well aware of the vulnerabilities in client-side detection. In fact, bot developers often widely share and advertise bypasses for popular client-side defenses in underground forums and communities. Many bots arrive pre-configured with bypass techniques for leading client-side bot detection solutions, giving attackers a significant advantage.
For businesses using client-side methods, this means bot developers already have access to well-documented methods for evading detection. As bots become more advanced and agile, it becomes increasingly difficult for client-side defenses to keep up. Shifting to server-side bot management allows businesses to protect against these advanced tactics without having to worry about pre-configured bypass techniques.
Constant Maintenance and Updates
Client-side detection places a maintenance burden on IT teams. Since attackers constantly evolve their techniques, businesses need to regularly push updates to their client-side defenses. However, these updates are often rushed and untested, potentially introducing security vulnerabilities into your network. Keeping up with attackers in this environment is a losing battle, as you’re forced to constantly update and maintain the code on countless devices.
At Netacea, we offer a better way. Our server-side bot management approach eliminates the risks of client-side detection and is automatically updated across all endpoints without manual intervention, providing a far more secure, reliable and manageable solution.
What is Server-Side Bot Management?
Server-side bot management refers to detecting and mitigating malicious bot traffic at the server level, without relying on agents or client-side software. At Netacea we ingest server logs in real-time and perform all analysis and detection centrally. This provides a much more secure and scalable solution for combating bot threats across all endpoints – websites, apps (all versions and devices), and APIs in one place.
How Netacea’s Server-Side Bot Management Works
Unlike client-side solutions that require agents to be deployed on individual devices, Netacea’s bot management operates entirely from the server side. We analyze web traffic and user behavior in real-time, using advanced machine learning models to detect bot activity and malicious intent in visitors.
By centralizing detection at the server level, we eliminate the need for businesses to maintain and update client-side software. This reduces the maintenance burden and improves overall security. Additionally, this keeps detection measures out of reach of attackers, who cannot tamper with server-side defenses the way they can with client-side code.
Real-World Example: Superior Detection Rates
Consider the case of a major retailer that previously relied on a client-side bot management solution to combat sneaker bots. This solution missed 91.2% of bot attacks due to its reliance on antiquated tactics like rate-limiting suspicious IP addresses. Modern bots easily bypass these tactics by distributing their activities across thousands of IP addresses.
When this retailer switched to Netacea’s server-side bot management, we detected and mitigated eleven times more bot traffic. We use behavioral analysis in our server-side solution to evaluate all incoming traffic. This allows us to identify bad bots even when they originate from multiple countries, IP addresses, data centers, and user agents. The switch also saved the retailer significant time and effort, as Netacea’s machine learning models automatically adapt to new threats without the need for constant rule updates.
Debunking the TLS Fingerprinting Myth in Server-Side Bot Management
Many mistakenly believe that server-side bot management relies heavily on TLS fingerprinting, such as JA3 and JA4, to detect malicious traffic. While these methods can play a role in identifying certain types of bot behavior and might be true of other solutions moving toward server-side detection, Netacea does not depend on JA3 and only uses limited aspects of JA4.
Why TLS Fingerprinting is Insufficient
TLS fingerprinting methods like JA3 and JA4 create signatures based on how devices establish encrypted connections. However, sophisticated attackers can easily bypass these techniques by modifying their TLS handshakes or using proxies that mimic legitimate traffic. This makes TLS fingerprinting unreliable as a standalone detection method. Frankly, to suggest Netacea uses it demonstrates a lack of understanding about how our solution works and why our solution is so effective.
At Netacea, instead of relying on weak methods like TLS fingerprinting, we use machine learning and server-side data analysis to detect malicious behavior across large volumes of traffic. This allows us to catch even the most sophisticated bots, regardless of how they disguise their connections.
The Advantages of Netacea’s Server-Side Bot Management
Reduced Maintenance Burden
With Netacea’s server-side bot management, you no longer need to install and maintain agents on customer devices. We detect bot traffic centrally at the server level. This frees your IT teams from the burden of constant updates and maintenance requirements.
Stronger, More Robust Security
Because server-side bot management removes the need for client-side software, your defenses are far less vulnerable to tampering or reverse engineering. Attackers cannot access or manipulate server-side detection methods the way they can with client-side code.
Scalable and Efficient
Netacea’s server-side bot management scales effortlessly with your business. Whether you’re processing millions or billions of requests, our solution is designed to handle large volumes of traffic in real-time. Our machine learning models continuously improve, adapting to new threats automatically and ensuring your business stays protected.
The Future of Bot Management: Why Server-Side is the Way Forward
Many bot management vendors still rely on hybrid solutions that combine client-side detection with server-side monitoring. While this may seem like a balanced approach, it doesn’t fully eliminate the risks associated with client-side detection. Client-side components remain vulnerable to reverse engineering and manipulation by attackers.
Client-side detection is the core of many bot management solutions to this day, and while these products might now have a layer of server-sider detection, they still rely heavily on agent-based technology. For them to switch to completely agentless detection would take significant dedicated development time and resource.
At Netacea, we’ve been developing and refining our server-side bot management solution for over eight years. Netacea earned a patent for pioneering server-side bot detection techniques. This head start positions us well ahead of competitors who are still dependent on outdated client-side approaches.
Conclusion: Choose Netacea for Your Bot Defense Strategy
As bots become more sophisticated, client-side (agent-based) detection solutions are simply no longer sufficient. The risks of tampering, reverse engineering, and bypassing make them a liability for businesses trying to stay ahead of bot threats.
Netacea’s server-side bot management offers a far more secure, scalable, and efficient alternative. By eliminating the need for agents and using advanced machine learning models to analyze behavior server-side, we provide a solution that’s better equipped to handle modern bot challenges.
Ready to upgrade your bot defense strategy? Contact Netacea today to discuss how our server-side approach can protect your business from advanced bot threats. Our team of experts is here to help you build a strong, scalable, and secure bot management solution.
