Publishers make a 70% cut on each click on their site
*Based on Interactive Advertising
Bureau Report, a consortium of
Online Ad Networks
Ads
impossible to know if particular click is genuine
security by obscurity
Researchers lack real attack data
BingAds
Log Data
Collect
Clean
Data
Catch
Click-
Fraud
Detect
Click-
Fraud
Gain
Insights
Published
Paper
Tech
Transfer
independently estimate
open (research) problem
six classes of sophisticated attacks
Release data
BingAds
Log Data
Collect
Clean
Data
Catch
Click-
Fraud
Detect
Click-
Fraud
Gain
Insights
Lots of clicks Lots of visits
How many ?
Random sample Fewer visits
Black box
Black Box
!
BingAds
Log Data
Collect
Clean
Data
Catch
Click-
Fraud
Detect
Click-
Fraud
Gain
Insights
𝑥 =𝑔𝑑 𝑙𝑖 − 𝑙𝑖
′ 𝑑𝑑′
𝑛𝑑𝑔𝑖
“Loading …”, or “Click
to continue”
Fewer spammers.
Slightly fewer good
users.
Lots of clicks
Loading…
Bluff
Few clicks. Spammers and
(few) curious good users.
BingAds
Log Data
Collect
Clean
Data
Catch
Click-
Fraud
Detect
Click-
Fraud
Gain
Insights
as advertisers for ten ad networks
BingAds
Log Data
Collect
Clean
Data
Catch
Click-
Fraud
Detect
Click-
Fraud
Gain
Insights
0
0.25
0.5
0.75
1
1.25
A B C
Fra
ction
va
lid (
no
rm.)
celebrityyogalawnmower
Valid
Tra
ffic
Fra
ctio
n (
No
rmalize
d)
Ad Network’s Estimate Our Estimate
Ad Networks
BingAds
Log Data
Collect
Clean
Data
Catch
Click-
Fraud
Detect
Click-
Fraud
Gain
Insights
Manual Investigation
Identical sites!
BingAds
Log Data
Collect
Clean
Data
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Click-
Fraud
Detect
Click-
Fraud
Gain
Insights
Arbitrage
Adult Parked
Malware
Browser specific filtering doesn’t work
Timing analysis doesn’t work
Threshold based filtering doesn’t work Onl
Signature Sustained clicks over multiple days
BingAds
Log Data
Collect
Clean
Data
Catch
Click-
Fraud
Detect
Click-
Fraud
Gain
Insights
# Days Clicked in a Week
# U
sers
bing.com coolsearchnow.com meetgirlstonight.net
jjbargains.com
BingAds
Log Data
Collect
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Data
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Click-
Fraud
Detect
Click-
Fraud
Gain
Insights
Low page-rank, not malicious, no ads
No typos, no dates
Periodically reset
Cheap Ads! Page now full of (expensive) ads
Confused user clicks
BingAds
Log Data
Collect
Clean
Data
Catch
Click-
Fraud
Detect
Click-
Fraud
Gain
Insights
BingAds
Log Data
Collect
Clean
Data
Catch
Click-
Fraud
Detect
Click-
Fraud
Gain
Insights
Published
Paper
Tech
Transfer
Detect
Click-
Fraud
Gain
Insights
BingAds
Log Data
Catch
Click-
Fraud
Tech
Transfer
Detect
Click-
Fraud
Gain
Insights
BingAds
Log Data
Catch
Click-
Fraud
Tech
Transfer
Detect
Click-
Fraud
Gain
Insights
BingAds
Log Data
Catch
Click-
Fraud
Tech
Transfer
Detect
Click-
Fraud
Gain
Insights
BingAds
Log Data
Catch
Click-
Fraud
Tech
Transfer
1. General Insight
2. Adaptive adversary
3. Algorithm public
independently estimate
open (research) problem
six classes of sophisticated attacks
Release data
BingAds
Log Data
Collect
Clean
Data
Catch
Click-
Fraud
Detect
Click-
Fraud
Gain
Insights