Traffic Cop Invalid Traffic Detection & Blocking Alternatives

Invalid traffic can wreak havoc on a publisher’s website. If left unchecked, it can result in ad account suspensions and loss of thousands in ad revenue. There are many ways of detecting ad fraud, such as using Google Analytics. However, sophisticated publishers tend to rely on invalid traffic detection and blocking services to ensure their ad revenues stay safe.

Be sure to read our post on AdSense account appeals for invalid traffic if you’ve fallen victim.

In this post, we’re going to be reviewing a few alternatives to Traffic Cop from MonetizeMore. Traffic Cop detects and prevents invalid traffic from seeing your ads, but more on that later. Here are some other options available in the market:

Radware

Radware’s ad fraud solution, Bot Manager, employs a multi-layered approach to protect web applications from malicious bot activity. They offer three-layered protection, blocking unwanted IPs and identities before they can cause harm, effectively stopping malicious traffic at the source.

Their Bot Manager analyzes user behavior to identify and mitigate threats that traditional defenses might miss. This includes detecting sophisticated bots that mimic human behavior. Radware offers a wide range of granular mitigation options, allowing for precise responses to various bot attacks without disrupting legitimate user traffic. You can set up specific responses for when bad bots are detected, such as serving captchas or outright blocking it according to your business needs.

Find out more about Radware here.

Cloudflare

Cloudflare’s Invalid Traffic (IVT) solution is part of its broader security offerings and is designed to protect web applications from various online threats, including ad fraud. The solution not only protects against threats but also enhances overall site performance by filtering out unwanted traffic, leading to faster load times and better user experiences.

They employ advanced bot management techniques to distinguish between legitimate users and malicious bots. This includes analyzing traffic patterns and employing machine learning algorithms to identify and block fraudulent traffic.

The Real-Time Threat Intelligence leverages Cloudflare’s extensive network and threat intelligence to provide real-time protection against known and emerging threats. This proactive approach helps mitigate risks associated with invalid traffic.

Learn more about Cloudflare here.

Integral Ad Science

The ad fraud solution from Integral Ad Science helps you to ensure that real people see your ads. Their solution focuses on desktop, mobile, and video traffic, and they are TAG Certified against fraud. Their proprietary technology has passed various tests to ensure accurate results.

They’ve established a dedicated threat lab to fight ad fraud and make sure ads are served to real publishers and not bots. Their approach to invalid traffic detection includes three stages: behavioral and network analysis, browser and device analysis, and malware analysis. Remember that Integral Ad Science tech is tailored towards DSPs and SSPs. Their focus is primarily on the buy side and might not be the best solution for ad-monetized publishers.

Also, keep in mind that Pixalate is tailored towards DSPs and SSPs, similar to Integral Ad Science, since they rely heavily on blacklists for invalid traffic protection. Publishers could find themselves vulnerable if new IP addresses are used by invalid traffic sources that aren’t yet included in their blacklists.

Pixalate

Pixalate’s Invalid Traffic (IVT) solution focuses on pre-bid blocking to prevent invalid traffic across various platforms, including Connected TV (CTV), mobile apps, and websites.

Their system currently blocks 35 types of invalid traffic across IPs, Device IDs, Domains, Apps, User Agents, and Data Centers. Pixalate was the first company to receive MRC Accreditation for SIVT (Sophisticated Invalid Traffic) detection and filtration, specifically in CTV environments, emphasizing its commitment to industry standards and quality.

They also offer industry-first measurement metrics, such as 12 SSAI (Server-Side Ad Insertion) measurement metrics, further enhancing its capabilities in detecting and filtering invalid traffic.

Pixalate’s ad fraud solution uses pre-bid blocking to prevent invalid traffic on multiple channels such as display, video, OTT, and in-app. Their fraud lists and API provides users with up-to-the-minute protection. You can also use their analytics to see the impact of blocklists on your invalid traffic levels.

Find out more about Pixalate here.

What does Traffic Cop offer, and how does it compare?

As you can see, the Traffic Cop alternatives mentioned above offer a wide array of services and solutions to publishers. Some focus mostly on the buy-side and malicious ads that can harm user experiences. Others focus on protecting publishers from bots and invalid traffic.

Traffic Cop, on the other hand, is an all in one invalid traffic detection and prevention tool. So many invalid traffic tools available to publishers only offer post-bid reporting and basic filtering options. The problem with this approach is the fact that your business is still at risk as that invalid traffic is still being served ads. This can result in ad account suspensions and huge ad revenue losses for your site.

Traffic Cop is now available for Apps

MonetizeMore’s Traffic Cop for Apps is a robust Android app plugin specifically designed for Kotlin environments. Its primary function is to safeguard ad inventory from fraudulent traffic and policy violations, a prevalent issue in the Android app ecosystem.

Traffic Cop for Apps offers battle-tested protection against various threats, including bots, click spam, and ad setup policy violations. It employs behavioral analysis, honeypotting, and other advanced techniques to identify and block invalid traffic. While features like captcha are not available for apps, the plugin compensates with detailed reporting capabilities.

Key benefits of Traffic Cop for Apps include protection against Google Play app suspensions, unexplained clawbacks, reduced CPM, and poor quality scores. By improving advertiser trust and safeguarding ad inventory, it contributes to a healthier app ecosystem. The plugin captures over 60 data points, offering insights into hardware specifications, software metrics, and user behavior, facilitating comprehensive traffic analysis.

MonetizeMore emphasizes the quick onboarding process, 360-degree protection, competitive pricing, round-the-clock support, and a free compliance check as advantages of Traffic Cop for Apps. The company also highlights its particular relevance to app categories like gaming, shopping, finance, traveling, and social media, which are frequently targeted by fraudulent activities.

With Traffic Cop, that’s not the case as it analyzes and classifies many different types of invalid traffic. Traffic Cop detects and blocks both general and sophisticated invalid traffic while preventing your ads from serving to invalid traffic. By running pre-bid analysis, fingerprinting algorithms, and utilizing machine learning, we’re able to block ads from serving to fraudulent sources. Lastly, Traffic Cop is built with ad monetized publishers in mind, unlike other options that are not as tailored and built for multiple industries.

Stop invalid traffic dead in its tracks. Sign up to Traffic Cop today!

source https://www.monetizemore.com/blog/traffic-cop-invalid-traffic-detection-blocking-alternatives/