Automated “bots” exploit contact forms which at the nusciance level plague you with spam but on a more sinister level compromise website security to steal or abuse data.
Website security first steps include a SSL Certificate – encrypting data to and from the website. The next step should be protecting your site inputs, primarily the contact form, from bots. From this need has come the ‘Are you a human ?’ type challenge measures. Some are simple check boxes or solving a simple calculation. Altogether classified as CAPTCHAs.
Google has stepped up the game with reCAPTCHA – now at Version 3 at the time of writing. reCAPTCHA v3 also known as ‘invisible recaptcha.
How does recaptcha v3 work ?
V3 is very different to earlier versions mainly in the fact that it is unobtrusive, a frictionless ‘challenge’ based on user behaviour and environment. reCAPTCHA v3 calculates a score that indicates the probability of the user being a human – or a ‘bot’ – no questions asked. It is not surprising that with these characteristics Googles’ new slogan is:
Easy on Humans, Hard on Bots
No IQ required !
More information : https://www.google.com/recaptcha/intro/v3.html
reCAPTCHA v3 does away with the tick boxes, image pattern matching and problem solving. The indicator to it’s presence will be a discreet logo often floating at the bottom right of the webpage.
HDUK will install reCAPTCHA on websites as a service request, reCAPTCHA is a service offering from the website maintenance and security updates catalogue.