CARFAX Puts an End to Scrapers and API Abuse With DataDome

The Problem: Scrapers Stealing Data & Causing Website Outages

Scrapers are malicious bots conceived to automatically extract data from a website. Subsequently, this data can be sold or used by another company. Soon after launching its online car listing product that allows individuals and businesses to shop for a used car, an influx of scrapers started to collect data from CARFAX’s website.

Phil Christensen, Senior Manager, Technology Operations at CARFAX explains: “Our infrastructure was simply unable to keep up with the volume of scraping bots that our new product had attracted. We had listings of several million cars for sale in the United States and this data was definitely interesting to someone.”

Data is a strategic asset for CARFAX. But not only their data was being impacted by scraping attacks. These incidents also resulted in significant website outages.

“Hundreds of hours were spent by teams trying to stabilize our systems while these attacks were happening. Meanwhile, users could not use our website. Our customers, the people who were placing the listings for cars for sale,  were unhappy with this situation. In the end, the interruption of our online activity also had a financial consequence, not to mention the increase of infrastructure costs due to the unwanted traffic,” Phil recalls.

The Solution: Anti-Scraping, Endpoint Protection, & Fast Implementation

CARFAX quickly started looking for a provider to block scrapers and protect its website.

“We did not have much time for evaluation, given the urgent nature of the situation. We found Datadome and they were very fast to help us. We did not look for anyone else because our needs were met on our first try. Love at first sight!” Phil laughs.

Within a week, CARFAX had deployed DataDome’s anti-scraping and endpoint solution. It now takes 2 milliseconds for DataDome to detect and block scrapers, ensuring the protection of web, mobile, and API endpoints. “The implementation process was really straightforward,” Phil confirms.

Finding a solution with API protection was crucial for CARFAX, since they provide a lot of data to their partners, such as car dealers and auction services. “When our partners use third-party software to access information like the last time a vehicle had an oil change, our APIs need to be safeguarded to prevent abuse and unauthorized attempts to replicate our product—a challenge we successfully addressed with DataDome,” Phil says.

The user-friendly dashboard provided by DataDome allows Phil and his team to monitor and block threats effectively. Phil appreciates the simplicity of the tool, stating, “It’s super easy to use. I have trained many people on how to use it, and I appreciate that it doesn’t take a long meeting to train somebody.”

The Results: No More Scraping, A Stable Website Performance, & Substantial Cost Savings

CARFAX experienced immediate relief from scraping bots upon implementing DataDome. “Our website never went down again. We are now using DataDome for most of our key products, which allows us to block millions of bots every month. Even with bot protection, we are still a very attractive target. We are very happy with our ongoing protection as threats become more advanced,” Phil shares.

Overall, CARFAX is now able to protect its invaluable data from scrapers. “Our vehicle history database is a key asset containing a lot of valuable information. Protecting it was a major challenge for us, but we know now that our data is 100% protected from scraping attacks,” Phil adds.

With scraping attacks effectively blocked, CARFAX’s team can now focus on their responsibilities without dealing with website outages. The absence of activity interruptions contributes to a smoother workflow, allowing them to optimize operations and potentially generate increased revenue without the setbacks caused by downtime.

In conclusion, DataDome’s anti-scraping and endpoint protection solutions provided CARFAX with a comprehensive shield against malicious bots, ensuring data security, website stability, and substantial cost savings. CARFAX now operates with confidence, free from the disruptions caused by scraping attacks, thanks to the robust protection offered by DataDome.