Add Labrika's IPs to the white list

In today's digital landscape, "bad" bots pose a significant threat to websites. These malicious bots can adversely affect website performance, distort the availability of products and services on online platforms, compromise personal data confidentiality, and ultimately result in reduced traffic and lost revenue.

Websites face various challenges due to bot attacks, including account hijacking, DDoS attacks, API misuse, web scraping, spam generation, analytics manipulation, and fraud. Understanding bot detection systems is crucial for businesses aiming to safeguard their online presence.

Distinguishing between beneficial and harmful bots is a top priority for modern organizations. However, according to the Radware Application Security Report, an alarming 79% of companies struggle to accurately differentiate between useful bot traffic and malicious bot activity.

The rise in bot traffic and the associated risks for businesses are escalating rapidly. This trend underscores the necessity for specialized solutions to combat bot attacks. Complicating matters further is the emergence of advanced bots capable of mimicking real user behavior, allowing them to bypass traditional security measures designed to protect against bot threats.

Identifying Bot Protection Issues

Using the Labrika http_info tool, you can determine whether an error during site scanning is due to the activation of bot protection mechanisms. By selecting the option to display content, you can check the response code of the page. If the response code contains terms like "protect," it indicates that the site's bot protection is likely causing the error.

Steps to Whitelist Labrika IP Addresses

If your website has bot protection enabled, follow these steps to ensure Labrika's IP addresses are whitelisted:

• Add Labrika's IP addresses (178.32.114.61, 162.55.244.68) to your whitelist.
• Then, within Labrika's site settings, navigate to "Site crawl settings" and check the "Use only basic IP addresses" option.

How to Add IP Addresses to Whitelist

1. Sucuri

To whitelist an IP address in Sucuri, which by default restricts access to admin pages (like /wp-admin), follow these steps:

If you encounter the following error when trying to access your site, it indicates that your IP is not whitelisted:

Block ID: IPB17 
Block reason: Your request was not allowed due to IP blocking (not whitelisted).

Whitelisting IPs is straightforward and can be done in two ways:

• Click here and enter your current IP address in the Whitelist IP Addresses section.

• After entering your IP, click on Whitelist to authorize it.

Alternatively, you can whitelist IPs using the API:

• Visit your API settings by clicking here, then click the green Whitelist IP button in the Quick Links section.

This action will automatically whitelist your IP address. You can bookmark this link and share it with other site administrators for easy access.

2. Wordfence

To whitelist an IP address in Wordfence, follow these steps:

Step 1 – Find Your IP Address

The quickest way to find your public IP address is to search "what is my IP address" on Google. Your IP will be displayed at the top. Make sure to copy this address for later use.

Step 2 – Open WordPress Admin

Navigate to yourdomain.com/wp-admin and log in. If you're currently locked out, you may need to go through the Wordfence recovery process by entering your email address and following the instructions sent to your inbox.

Step 3 – Whitelist Your IP in Wordfence

Hover over Wordfence in the left menu, click on Firewall, and then select "All Firewall Options" (indicated by a gear icon). In the section for "Whitelisted IP addresses that bypass all rules," add your copied IP address on a new line and click "Save Changes" at the top right.

Following these steps should successfully whitelist your IP address, allowing you to access your site without issues.

3. iThemes Security

To whitelist an IP address using iThemes Security, navigate to your WordPress dashboard and go to iThemes Security Settings > Global Settings > Configure Settings. Scroll down to the "Lockout Whitelist" section and enter the IP addresses that need to be whitelisted for Labrika. Once you’ve added the necessary IPs, click "Save Settings" to finalize the process.

4. Cloudflare

Log into your Cloudflare account to manage your IP whitelisting:

1. Click on the Firewall icon and then select the Tools tab.
2. Under IP Access Rules, enter the IP address you wish to whitelist:
   • Input the IP address.
   • Select Whitelist as the action.
   • Choose the website for which the rule will apply.
3. Click Add to save the rule.
4. Repeat this process for any additional IP addresses you need to whitelist.

5. Brute-Force Firewall

To whitelist an IP address in WHM as the 'root' user:

1. Navigate to "Home > Security Center > cPHulk Brute Force Protection."
2. Open the "Whitelist Management" tab.
3. Enter the IP address or range you wish to whitelist in the "New Whitelist Records" textbox.
4. Click the "Add" button to finalize the action.

6. Malcare

To whitelist IP addresses using MalCare, first install the MalCare plugin. Then, go to the Security and Firewall tab, select the Traffic Requests section, find the IP you want to whitelist, hover over the edit icon, and click on 'Add to whitelist.'

Understanding Bot Protection Strategies for Websites

Implementing effective bot protection strategies is essential for maintaining both website security and performance. Here are some recommended practices:

• Utilize CAPTCHAs: Incorporate CAPTCHAs to differentiate between human users and bots effectively.
• Implement Rate Limiting: Set limits on the number of requests a user can make within a specific timeframe to prevent abuse.
• Monitor Traffic Patterns: Regularly analyze traffic to identify unusual spikes that may indicate bot activity.
• Use a Web Application Firewall (WAF): A WAF can filter and monitor HTTP traffic between a web application and the Internet, blocking malicious bots.
• Employ Bot Management Solutions: Consider specialized tools designed to detect and mitigate bot traffic effectively.

Bot Protection and Its Impact on SEO

While bot protection is vital for safeguarding your website, it’s essential to understand how it can affect SEO:

• Improving Site Visibility: By preventing malicious bots from overwhelming your server, you can maintain optimal site performance, which is beneficial for SEO.
• Blocking Legitimate Crawlers: Poorly configured bot protection can inadvertently block search engine crawlers, impacting your site's indexing and visibility.
• Impact on Analytics: Bot traffic can skew analytics data, making it difficult to understand genuine user behavior and site performance. Accurate analytics are crucial for informed decision-making regarding SEO strategies.

Conclusion: Balancing Security and Accessibility

In conclusion, understanding bot detection systems and implementing effective bot protection strategies are essential for maintaining website performance and security. The challenge lies in balancing the need for robust security measures with the necessity of allowing legitimate crawlers to access your site. By whitelisting trusted IPs, utilizing advanced security measures, and continuously monitoring traffic, businesses can protect themselves from the adverse effects of malicious bots while optimizing their site for crawlers.

Moreover, adopting these practices not only enhances user experience but also supports SEO best practices, ensuring that your website remains competitive in the digital landscape. By following these guidelines, you can create a secure and user-friendly online environment that fosters growth and engagement.

As the digital landscape evolves, staying informed about the latest trends in bot protection and detection will be crucial for any business aiming to thrive online. With the right strategies in place, you can effectively mitigate the risks posed by malicious bots while enhancing your site's visibility and performance.