“Then he got an idea, an awful idea. The Grinch got a wonderful, awful idea,” Samantha Raphelson begins in their recent NPR article entitled “Grinch Bots' Attempt To Steal Christmas By Driving Up Toy Prices.”
“I know just what to do, the Grinch laughed in his throat. All it will take is a few keystrokes,” Raphelson continues.
“But of course he didn't actually muse. Because the Grinch in this case is a bot. It's automatic. It doesn't snooze,” they write.
According to the NPR piece, “Online scammers with an arsenal of cyber bots are stealing Christmas by buying up the most popular toys of the season and selling them for a hefty markup on third-party sites such as Amazon and eBay.”
Can you begin to see why this caught our attention and worried us a bit?
The article continues that “while the demand for the hottest toys is particularly high this time of year, shoppers are competing against a growing army of bots. For years, scalpers have taken advantage of software robots to scoop up event tickets, but now scammers are employing the same tactics to cheat Christmas shoppers,” shares MSNBC anchor and economics correspondent Ali Velshi, in Raphelson’s article.
“Sen. Chuck Schumer is calling on retailers to crack down on ‘Grinch bots’ who use complex software to identify the product page of a popular toy before it even goes on sale. The program rapidly purchases thousands of products before customers have time to buy them,” explains Raphelson in their article.
Now do recognize our concern?
The emergence of bots shows the potential for criminals to threaten organizations. Your property is no different.
This fact gives us anxiety – it pushes us to build the best software for customers.
We know criminals are getting smarter.
But, it’s up to you to ensure the criminals don’t cripple your operation, removing the ‘proactive’ from your proactive operation.
We get it; chances are your team might never find themselves fighting a bot intrusion.
Then again, we never know.
Agree?
But, the point of this article is not about “Grinch Bots” themselves.
It’s how advanced technology like it can threaten organizations that are working to serve their customers and generate revenue.
Happy customers are going to your property to spend money. That’s a part of an important cycle that keeps the economy afloat.
But, when criminals use intelligent software to rig the game – everyone can suffer.
Today, more than ever, it’s critical to understand how evolving technologies can not only help your property’s operation but hurt it.
You have to keep ahead of the criminals. You have to put the right components in place to ensure your customers, staff, and property remain whole.
You must employ Proactive Operations, so the “Grinch Bots” don’t hinder the efficiency and effectiveness of your operation.
Don’t know how? We’ve got you covered.
Here’s the thing, you need to keep your customers safe and maximize their experience while on your property.
How do you do that?
You must reduce your risk. So, what does that mean?
That means you have to put Proactive Operations in place to keep criminals and outside threats – out of your property.
The less that threatens and inhibits your property – it’s not rocket science either – the more likely your customers come back again and again.
Do you agree?
One caveat: having an awareness of the need to counter these threats is not enough. It requires lots of effort and teamwork.
It requires employing the Proactive Operations methodology.
Use strategy, infrastructure, and technology to maximize the performance of your operations.
Simple enough, right?
The concept itself is because it creates a systematic approach to running your operations that might not have been there before the methodology.
But, and this is an important 'but,' you have to get through each component as follows or you’ll feel the adverse effects.
(Want to learn more about Proactive Operations? Make sure to read this article.)
Now, you can control what happens on your property.
No one is stealing the ‘proactive’ from your operation, especially when you manage your operation like the leader you were destined to be.
Fighting the evolving methods of criminals demands an operation built with Proactive Operations. Criminals that are deploying threats like “Grinch Bots” work diligently to trick the system to their advantage.
You’ve got to stay 10 steps ahead at all times.
Are you?