Automated Exploitation: Cybercrime at Machine Speed

The days of hackers manually targeting individual websites are long gone. Welcome to the age of automated exploitation, where thousands of cyber-attacks happen while you’re having lunch.

The Old Way: Hacking by Hand

For years, cyberattacks were a hands-on process. A hacker would hunt for a weakness in a system, exploit it to gain more access, and work their way deeper until they found the prize, often sensitive databases, proprietary code, or valuable documents.

This was slow work. Every target was unique, meaning every attack had to be built from scratch. As a result, only big corporations with the biggest potential payoffs tended to be targeted. Small websites often flew under the radar.

Fast forward to today, and that same hacker doesn’t need to lift a finger. Instead, they deploy thousands of automated bots that can breach more websites in an afternoon than they could manually target in a lifetime.

This shift from traditional, manual hacking to automated exploitation has fundamentally changed the cybersecurity landscape and not in a good way.

The New Era: Automated Exploitation

The rise of automated exploitation tools has completely transformed cybercrime. Tools like AutoSploit, Metasploit scripts, and Ffuf can run 24/7, tirelessly scanning and exploiting targets. Hackers can deploy thousands of these bots, sending millions of malicious requests and they don’t need to babysit them.

Today, bots can:

• Try hundreds of thousands of known vulnerabilities in minutes
• Locate exposed files indexed by search engines
• Brute force login forms with staggering speed
• Scan for open ports leaking valuable information

The most terrifying part? These bots have perfect memory. They remember every vulnerability ever discovered and can instantly recognise what software a website is running, then deploy the exact right attack for that specific system.

Hackers can now deploy thousands of these automated attackers simultaneously. While the person controlling them grabs lunch or sleeps, their digital army scours the internet, sending millions of malicious requests and potentially breaching thousands of websites.

Real-World Examples: When Automation Strikes

The impact of automated attacks isn’t theoretical—it’s happening right now, at massive scale.

Collections 1–5 – one of the largest data breaches in history, containing billions of credentials from potentially hundreds of thousands of websites. Many were tiny, with as few as 36 users, yet automated tools scooped them up alongside high-profile targets, giving hackers information to load their botnets with credentials to fuel automated attacks.

WordPress, vBulletin, myBB exploits – these popular platforms power huge portions of the internet. It is no coincidence that when a new critical vulnerability is found and publicly released, that there is a large spike of many websites breached in a very short period, especially those that do not keep their software updated regularly.

Mirai botnet – one of the largest botnets (a collection of computers), this automated system doesn’t just attack—it spreads like a digital virus. It scours the internet for vulnerable devices (particularly IoT gadgets like smart cameras and routers), infects them, then uses each new victim to help find and infect even more devices. This botnet is then used to carry out some of the largest-scale attacks, all for hire.

Who’s at Risk?

Short answer: everyone.

Bots don’t discriminate, if you are on the internet, you’re at risk. They’ll target a Fortune 500 company, a small-town bakery’s website, or your home security camera with equal enthusiasm.

Small businesses and individuals are particularly vulnerable because they often lack the resources or expertise to maintain strong security.

Defending Against the Bots

Due to the flexibility and extensive knowledge that these bots have, it is impossible to fully protect against them. There are key steps to reduce your exposure:

• Keep all software ruthlessly up to date
• Change default usernames and weak passwords
• Use strong, unique passwords for each service or consider MFA
• Consider professional penetration testing to identify weaknesses before attackers do.

The Double-Edged Sword of Security Tools

It’s worth noting that tools like AutoSploit, Metasploit, and Ffuf aren’t inherently evil. They’re legitimate cybersecurity tools designed to help organisations identify vulnerabilities in their own systems. The same tool that a company uses to audit its security can unfortunately be weaponised by someone with malicious intent.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Automated Threats

The evolution of automated cyber-attacks isn’t slowing down, it’s accelerating. It is very likely these kinds of bots will progress further with higher capabilities, more knowledge about previous vulnerabilities and become even more flexible. Imagine bots powered by AI that:

• Craft targeted spear-phishing emails for every individual in an organisation
• Impersonate executives to social-engineer credentials
• Act entirely autonomously to compromise systems, Skynet-style.

Bottom Line

The shift to automated cyber-attacks has fundamentally changed the rules of online security. No one is too small to be targeted, and no system is too obscure to escape notice. While this new reality is sobering, it’s not hopeless.

Success in this environment requires a proactive approach: staying updated, remaining vigilant, and understanding that cybersecurity isn’t a one-time investment but an ongoing commitment. The machines may never sleep, but neither can our efforts to stay protected.

Get in touch today to find out more information about how Intercede can help you with stronger authentication from passwords to PKI.