Ban evasion detection: Protecting platform integrity

Ban evasion erodes account credibility, undermines user trust, and exposes platforms to fraud. Here’s how to detect and prevent it proactively.

Digital businesses across various sectors can fall victim to the challenges posed by ban evasion. Whether it's an online marketplace, a social media platform, a gaming community, or a content-sharing website, the threat of users violating terms of service, disregarding community guidelines, or engaging in inappropriate behavior is a shared concern. When such violations occur, businesses often ban users from their platforms to maintain a secure and respectful online environment.

Unfortunately, banning an account doesn’t always solve the problem. As banned users become more adept at finding ways to return to platforms, organizations need stronger solutions for ban evasion detection. Unchecked ban evasion leaves businesses grappling with the negative impacts on user experience, brand reputation, and overall platform integrity. In some instances, such as with Twitch, keeping banned individuals out is key to protecting legitimate users from cyberbullying, harassment, or abuse. When users feel unsafe, it not only tarnishes the brand but can also lead to lost audience, lost subscribers, and lost revenue.

Another gaming company, Bungie, took an individual cheater to court, earning a $500,000 settlement for ban circumvention. The user had created 100 new accounts, and injected code into cheat software to create an "unauthorized derivative work" that violates US copyright law.

Ban evasion is a serious concern, and the fallout can wreak havoc on digital platforms, users, and employees. However, recognizing and addressing ban evasion is no simple task, and the challenge is exacerbated by the evolving tactics users employ to regain access. The current technological landscape offers numerous opportinities to circumvent ban restrictions, making it an uphill battle for digital businesses to stay ahead of the curve.

The ban evasion conundrum

Ban evasion occurs when users who have been previously banned find ways to re-enter a platform under different aliases or with altered identities. This poses a multifaceted threat to online businesses, ranging from increased instances of fraud and abuse to a decline in user trust and engagement.

The sheer ingenuity of bad actors is a primary factor that complicates ban evasion detection. Basic tactics involve creating new accounts with altered user details – a process as simple as changing an email address or username. Even more concerning is the practice of persuading friends to share legitimate account credentials, so that banned users can slip back into the platform unnoticed.

Platforms also contend with more sophisticated approaches to platform fraud. Ban evaders can use proxy servers and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to mask their IP addresses, making it challenging for platforms to determine account credibility. Manipulating browser configurations and other device details adds another layer of complexity, creating the illusion of a completely different device accessing the platform.

The crux of the matter lies in the adaptability of ban evaders. As soon as one method is identified and countered, banned users pivot to new tactics, staying one step ahead of conventional detection mechanisms. This constant cat-and-mouse game makes it challenging for digital businesses to effectively enforce bans and maintain the integrity of their platforms.

Most solutions are ineffective at stopping ban evaders

The landscape of online account fraud has undergone a paradigm shift, rendering most fraud detection solutions ineffective. Traditional identity and access management (IAM) systems and online fraud detection (OFD) mechanisms, once IT security stalwarts, weren’t designed to contend with the tactics employed by today's account fraudsters.

Furthermore, reliance on manual review and approval processes creates its own set of limitations. Manual processes are not only costly and slow, but they also fail to scale effectively in the face of the ever-expanding digital landscape.

The prevailing "cost of doing business" mindset, which accepts a certain level of fraud as inevitable, creates a breeding ground for financially burdensome illicit activities that further erode trust in a platform’s safety and validity.

Adopting a post-mortem analysis approach after successful fraud occurs does little to deter repeat offenders. A true, effective solution necessitates shifting toward proactive, adaptive identity threat solutions capable of real-time ban evasion detection and prevention.

Identifying signs of ban evasion

Recognizing ban evasion is the crucial first step in tackling the problem. Without reliable tools that can adapt to the ever-changing landscape of user evasion tactics, businesses face banned users who will persistently infiltrate their platforms. As the digital realm continues to evolve, businesses must invest in advanced Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) solutions that not only identify ban evasion but also stay ahead of the curve to protect online communities from users who undermine their terms of service and community guidelines.

The right ITDR solution will identify any banned accounts still active on your platform. Leveraging AI, the solution should evaluate data on these accounts, including IP addresses, devices, and user behavior, as well as OSINT data on the accounts and their connections to other accounts on the platform. Banned accounts are flagged so the system can later detect anomalies that may indicate ban evasion instances associated with that account.

Raising the bar for automating access and account registration approvals

One particularly desirable ITDR feature is the ability to dynamically adjust access levels based on the perceived risk of ban evasion. Instead of implementing broad, potentially inconvenient measures that affect all users, access management should integrate with session monitoring capabilities to initiate verification processes that increase friction only when the risk is deemed high. This targeted, risk-based authentication approach ensures that legitimate users are not inconvenienced, maintaining a seamless experience while simultaneously thwarting ban evaders.

The Imprivata difference for battling banned accounts

When it comes to fighting ban evasion, Imprivata sets itself apart with advanced ITDR capabilities and seamless integration with MFA solutions, to make access difficult for unauthorized users and fraudsters, and easier and less cumbersome for legitimate users.

Imprivata ITDR capabilities can easily detect when a banned account is still active on your platform and take action to stop it without inconveniencing others. We do this by:

• Identifying signs of banned accounts accessing platform content
• Using access event context clues to assess the risk of ban evasion
• Raising the bar for access protocols only when the risk of ban evasion is high

Imprivata solutions help stop banned users from returning, thereby keeping your customers happy and your business running smoothly – free of cheaters and fraudsters.

Want to see what Imprivata can do to protect online business from ban evasion? Request a demo today.