Big uptick in bot traffic jeopardizes vaccine appointments

Many websites used for COVID-19 vaccine appointments are overwhelmed with bad bot traffic, making it difficult for people to sign up for shots, according to cybersecurity firm Imperva. Bad bot traffic on healthcare websites has increased by 372% since September 2020, with a 48.8% increase in February alone. The influx of bots poses risks to efficient scheduling and distribution, including crashing websites and bots scooping up appointment slots. Imperva also warns of the potential for bots to lock up appointment slots and sell them to the highest bidders.