Netacea unveils Talos to combat rising intelligent web threats

Netacea has announced the launch of its most advanced detection engine to date, aimed at helping enterprises address the increasing scale and complexity of malicious automated web traffic.

The new detection platform, named Talos, is the fifth generation of Netacea's bot detection technology and builds upon several years of server-side, behaviour-based threat detection methods. Unlike traditional bot management solutions that frequently depend on client-side signals or static security rules, Netacea's approach centres on the analysis of user intent, using advanced machine learning to assess behaviour across online channels.

Intent-based approach

Talos introduces machine learning algorithms that examine user behaviour on APIs, websites, and mobile applications to detect automated threats by evaluating what the traffic aims to achieve, rather than relying solely on the appearance of digital interactions. This approach aims to enhance detection, even as attackers use techniques that mimic genuine user activity or develop new evasion tactics.

The detection engine delivers real-time protection, providing actionable insights and automated mitigation measures via API or data feeds. This enables businesses to respond swiftly to threats, reducing the window of exposure to potential cybercrime events. Detection is performed on the server side, avoiding the use of JavaScript insertion or device fingerprinting methods, which can often be bypassed or manipulated by sophisticated attackers.

Another key feature is the adaptation to each client's unique traffic patterns. The engine can build customer-specific models to minimise false positives and improve detection accuracy. Deployment is designed to be invisible to end users, aiming to preserve the customer experience without introducing friction or disruption.

Addressing evolving cyber threats

The development of Talos is the result of four preceding generations of detection engines, with the latest release specifically designed to meet the needs of an online environment that is being transformed by artificial intelligence and increasingly sophisticated forms of automation.

"Talos is the result of years of innovation in server-side, machine-learning driven threat detection and modelling. As automation becomes indistinguishable from human behaviour and new AI-driven use cases reshape how the internet operates, Talos provides a detection architecture built to evolve. It enables real-time decisions at scale, without relying on brittle client-side signals or static rules, and positions our customers to stay ahead of threats in an increasingly agent-driven web," said Mark Greenwood, Vice President of Engineering at Netacea.

Increasing challenges in fraud and abuse

The release of Talos comes amid heightened levels of automated fraud and data scraping in sectors such as retail, ticketing, gaming, travel, and SaaS. Malicious automation is commonly linked to significant cyber incidents, including account takeovers, fraudulent refund claims, and unauthorised content replication.

Netacea's Threat Intelligence team reports that digital marketplaces dealing in compromised accounts and illicit access are recording up to 45,000 listings per day, with fluctuations often following retail demand cycles. In the retail sector alone, reports suggest that more than USD $100 billion was lost to online fraud in 2023, and that total losses often triple once recovery costs and reputational impact are considered.

Andy Still, Netacea's Chief Technology Officer, commented on the current landscape: "We are already protecting major eCommerce and SaaS platforms from complex attacks, including scalping, credential stuffing, and scraping for GenAI model training and content republishing. Fraud tactics are more prevalent than ever and those that do not adopt advanced bot management in the near future will end up suffering from malicious traffic and significantly increased support costs."

Talos forms the core of Netacea's platform going forward and is now available for enterprise deployments. Netacea's server-side, intent-based detection and response platform has been developed with the goal of providing real-time, automated defences that remain largely invisible to legitimate users while countering increasingly sophisticated and evasive automated threats online.