A captcha is nothing more than a verification code, or in other words, a kind of verification test that a computer system uses to verify a user and determine his status in the system – a person or a computer. This type of security measures has been known since the 2000s, when the term captcha itself appeared. The basis of the verification is the task of an easy real person and a complex one of a computer.
With the help of the verification code, you will be able to protect yourself from spam, hacking and theft of passwords. To check out, you need to pass a simple test that confirms that all actions are performed by a live user, and not by a bot or computer program that is fraudulently trying to gain access to a protected account.
Types of captcha
The input can be divided into several options that occur:
Numbers, letters or symbols. It can be both a simple word and a combination of numbers. A more complex option is a set of characters of different registers. The more complex the captcha, the harder it is to crack.
Selection of required images. These can be pictures with traffic lights or hydrants, which must be marked with ticks. A simple option that requires attention.
Solving a mathematical problem. It is presented as a simple example for calculation.
Collection of puzzles. The task consists in collecting the picture, dragging the necessary files to the appropriate places on the image. The test option is more difficult, as you will have to think more.
reCAPTCHA – operation confirmation, which is considered the simplest and easiest method and consists of a quick check mark.
Regardless of the type of captcha, the bot simply cannot cope with such tasks. Even though bot engines are constantly improving, site developers are thriving behind them and creating better versions of captchas.
Why is it necessary to use a captcha?
It will be needed by site owners, it will cause inconvenience to ordinary users. The security program filters bots that try to make an unauthorized entry to the site. To deal with bots, captcha:
- Protects against spam. Bots are engaged in sending malicious advertisements, spam, bad reviews. An ideal option for owners of large sites in order not to deal with manual cleaning.
- Prevents DDoS attacks. Captcha does a great job with a large flow of requests that the server has a hard time processing so that the site doesn’t crash.
- Protects against brute-forcing, generation of logins and passwords.
- Provides protection against interception of positions on various Internet sites. It is characteristic of bots to imitate the actions of real buyers who intercept the purchased products.
- Parsing protection. But here the captcha does not always give a successful result, it all depends on the quality of the parsing service.
Why does Google use a verification code?
Google’s main task is to ensure the security of user data. This is why a special code is used to protect against remote software access to the user account. Such codes are also found on other sites that contain confidential information with bank and credit card account details.
What to do in a situation where the verification code is difficult to decipher?
If you come across an illegible image with a verification code, you should refresh the page in your browser to replace it with another image. For visually impaired people, there is a special audio version that is located next to the text field and is marked with a wheelchair icon. In this case, it is necessary to listen to the information and enter the information heard.