Advertising business allows earning and earning a lot. “Moneymaking” industries have always attracted bad players, and we at Adsterra feel bound to take action.
We want to show how much we care about security and transparency on our platform and in this business in general, so we decided to write a series of blog posts about what we do to detect, prevent and fight fraud and scam.
We are deeply concerned with what is going on, and we hope that our competitors will take an example and act to make our industry more transparent and less scammy.
What is not allowed on Adsterra?
The following are examples (including but not limited to) of the type of actions that are not allowed on Adsterra:
- sending Adsterra’s traffic to malicious websites,
- redirecting Adsterra’s traffic to the sites unapproved by Adsterra managers,
- running types of offers forbidden in Adsterra Network (parent window opener, pay per call, tech support, and any other illegal goods, services or transactions described in ADSTERRA TERMS & CONDITIONS).
What do we do to detect fraud?
We always stay in touch with the world of security innovations, so we can promptly detect and respond to new threats to grow long-term customer satisfaction.
To detect malware in campaigns launched via Adsterra Self-Service platform, we use an automated scanner (GeoEdge), and after that, the Campaign Launching Team checks all the campaigns manually. For manual fraud detection, we emulate real user behavior: we use different physical gadgets, operating systems, clean proxies, and fresh IP-addresses. Fresh proxies make cloaker fake landing page detection more effective, and it all helps us maximize fraud attempts exposure.
What software do we use for it?
We currently use GeoEdge, a premium provider of ad security and verification solutions for adtech businesses. We connect with GeoEdge via API, and it monitors ad inventory 24/7 to detect and block any malicious activity and quality issues in real-time, long before any damage can occur. We scan the whole feed (ALL ads, including old ones, which have already been examined several times) every 30 minutes. Adsterra also has in-house security scripts that provide additional automated scans of our ad inventory.
Is it 100% safe?
The Adsterra security system combines a series of measures for improving client protection, but unfortunately, no software can make us 100% immune to breaches. But our highest aim is to reduce this number to zero, so we decided to implement one more scanner, AdSecure, after a successful test period.
How long does it take to react?
It takes 30 seconds to 10 minutes to react to a fraudulent campaign. Our Defence Dept. reports the issue to the advertiser, their advertising manager, and our Security Team.
What penalties apply to advertisers for breaking the rules?
When it comes to minor violations, we temporarily ban GEOs for a suspicious campaign to protect publishers and ask the advertiser to fix the issue. But it works only with one-time minor violations. That part we’ll just chalk up to a human error.
If an advertiser repeatedly breaks the rules, we ban them in the Adsterra Network. Financial penalties may also apply to any advertiser breaking our rules.
Your campaign or account was banned. What to do?
Make sure you did not violate Adsterra Terms & Conditions. If you are 100% sure that all of your campaigns are in line with the rules, report the issue to your personal manager, and they will promptly help. Our moderation is strict but fair and just.
What are our plans for defense improvement?
In Q3, we launch a massive tech system renovation: we will improve our internal security scripts, fix minor bugs, and enhance automated performance. We will implement a new scanning system: AdSecure. We have been testing it for several months, and it has shown itself to be extremely effective, so it will stay together with GeoEdge that we currently use. It’s a bit complicated, but two heads, or in this case, scanners, are better than one.
We have always stayed on the guard of our clients’ safety and will remain so.
We want our clients and partners to be aware of our activity, so we will share more information about the software we use, people who work in the Defence Dept, advice on how to stay safe online and more on our blog and social media.
