You thought your bot problem was firmly under control. After all, isn’t that what your bot detection solution was for? But then the signs started to appear: fraud numbers creeping higher, loyalty accounts being compromised, and promotions vanishing faster than any human could claim them.

Sound familiar?

Let’s walk through the seven emotional stages of discovering your bot detection isn’t working – and how Kasada can help you get to a better place.

Stage 1: Shock – “Wait… We Have a Bot Problem?!”

It always starts with a shock. You’re reviewing quarterly reports when someone drops the bombshell: Half of your website’s traffic is bots – not people.

How is that possible? You’ve been paying for bot protection! But here’s the truth: most legacy solutions only report the threats they catch. They don’t show you what’s slipping through the cracks.

It’s like a security guard bragging about all the intruders they’ve stopped… while ignoring the ones strolling in through the back door.

Stage 2: Denial – “There’s No Way This Many Bots Are Hitting Us!”

Your first instinct is to doubt the numbers. Maybe it’s a glitch in the analytics or a one-time anomaly. Surely your existing system would have flagged something this big, right?

But as you dig deeper, the patterns become undeniable:

• Spikes in account creation that don’t make sense
• Customers’ loyalty points disappearing overnight
• Inventory being hoarded in carts but never purchased
• Suspicious traffic flagged as “legitimate” by your defenses

It’s no longer a question of if you have a bot problem – it’s how bad the problem really is.

Stage 3: Anger – “Why Didn’t Anyone Catch This?”

Frustration sets in. You’ve been relying on a vendor to protect your business, yet here you are – playing catch-up.

The problem? Modern bots don’t follow yesterday’s rules. They’ve evolved, but many legacy systems – including CDN-based bot detection – haven’t kept pace.

Think of it like using outdated antivirus software. Sure, it might catch the basics, but the sophisticated threats? They’ll slip right past.

Stage 4: Bargaining – “I’ll Do Anything to Make This Problem Disappear.”

Now you’re ready to fix this – and fast. But the more you investigate, the more you realize it’s not just about replacing your bot detection solution. You need to think holistically:

• What’s the cost of ongoing fraud and abuse?
• How much time does your team spend managing attacks?
• What’s the price of lost trust from frustrated customers or brand damage from failed promotions?

Effective bot defense isn’t just a cost – it’s a strategic investment that protects your revenue, your customers, and your reputation.

Stage 5: Depression – “How Do I Share This Without Sounding the Alarm?”

By now, you’re deep in the weeds, trying to figure out how to break the news. No one likes to admit their existing defenses have failed, especially if it feels like the vendor has a strong internal advocate or a renewal proposal on the table.

But here’s the good news: you’re not alone. 85% of Kasada’s customers switched from other vendors – and stayed. They made the leap because we understand how to guide businesses through this transition, minimizing risk and maximizing results.

Stage 6: Testing – “Let’s Give Kasada a Try and See What They Can Do.”

This is the turning point. You’ve heard the promises before, but Kasada delivers proof:

• A global retailer cut password reset attempts from 250,000 per month to just 130 – a 99.9% reduction that freed up hours of support team time.
• A major airline eliminated $800,000 in direct scraping losses, plus millions in indirect costs. Their old solution incorrectly classified  75% of bot traffic as human.
• A leading US retailer drastically reduced origin impact from flood attacks that overwhelmed their previous system.

And unlike other vendors, Kasada doesn’t just catch bots. We label legitimate traffic, too, giving you a full picture of your site’s activity.

Stage 7: Acceptance – “Kasada Actually Works. Out With the Old, In With the New.”

This is where everything clicks. Your team isn’t just relieved – it’s confident. Working with Kasada doesn’t feel like just another vendor; it feels like a partnership.

The Forrester Wave™ for Bot Management Software Q3 2024 sums it up perfectly:
“Security teams seeking a customer-obsessed partner should look at Kasada.”

Here’s what customers say:

• “You’re solving a nightmare we’ve been dealing with for over a year now.” – Global Airline CISO
• “Kasada is nicer, better, smoother, faster, lighter.” – Fortune 500 Retailer
• “The Kasada team’s responsiveness and communication is amazing. We have nothing but a positive experience whenever we need help or ask questions. We don’t see this with any other vendor.” – Major Retailer

The Real Impact

When customers switch to Kasada, they report:

• 99%+ drops in automated attacks
• Faster deployment and time-to-value
• Simplified operations with an intuitive UI (one customer’s team noted our UI “spoiled” them compared to their previous solution)
• Dramatically reduced false positives
• Millions of dollars saved in infrastructure and downstream fraud costs
• Better visibility into attack patterns

Your Next Step

The sophistication of today’s bots demands equally sophisticated defenses – not outdated solutions packaged in new marketing.

Don’t wait for the next attack to uncover what your current solution is missing. Request a personalized site check to see how bots are targeting you right now.

Your future self will thank you.

The post The 7 Stages of Realizing You Have a Bot Problem appeared first on Kasada.

*** This is a Security Bloggers Network syndicated blog from Kasada authored by Irene Berlinsky. Read the original post at: https://www.kasada.io/the-7-stages-of-realizing-you-have-a-bot-problem/