This article deals with WEDOS Protection Captcha and Cookies. For information on the Filter, GeoIP and WAF features, visit this link.
In this article, you will learn:
- How WEDOS Protection Captcha and Cookies work
- How to set up:
- Troubleshooting common issues
- Frequently Asked Questions
WEDOS Protection Features
To protect vulnerable web resources which cannot be blocked outright, such as login features, WEDOS Protection typically uses Captcha or Cookies, which bar most robots while allowing relatively easy access to humans.
In the event of an attack, WEDOS Protection AI may deploy Captcha or Cookies on the entire site, rather than just the most vulnerable URLs.
- Captcha relies on the human ability to recognize letters (text) in an image, even if they are concealed by noise or other distortions which make the task hard or outright impossible for robots. For more information, see Captcha.
- Cookies check the user’s authenticity in a more covert way, which doesn’t require user interaction. Once the test is passed, the authentication is stored as a cookie on their device. For more information, see Cookies.
Protection Feature Setup
To access the feature settings, follow these steps:
- Log into the WEDOS Global Admin panel ⧉.
- Select a domain or template to set up.
- In the left menu, select the feature to set up.
Captcha
Captcha usually protects pages which are likely to be targeted by malicious robots, most typically login. During an attack, WEDOS Protection AI may deploy the Captcha page to other sections of the web as well, possibly the entire domain.
By default, Captcha verification follows these rules:
- A page asks the user to manually transcribe 4 randomly generated lowercase characters (letters) from a picture and Submit.
- Successful verification stores the result and disables Captcha on the domain for that user for 12 hours (720 minutes), or until they switch browsers or delete cookies. For WordPress administration, this time is increased 24 hours.
- There is currently no hard limit on the number of attempts at solving the captcha.
In the Start and Advanced subsription plans, captcha works in AI Mode only. By upgrading to the Expert plan, you can set up the captcha code (characters, length) as well as the time it takes for the verification to reset (in minutes).
Cookies
Cookie verification may briefly display a page informing about a check in progress, but the user isn’t required to interact with it in any way. Once they pass 3 cookie checks, the verification is paused indefinitely, or until the cookie is deleted from the system.
In the Start and Advanced subsription plans, cookies work in AI Mode only. By upgrading to the Expert plan, you can set up the number of cookie checks, set up an URL landing page for unsuccessful checks, and whitelist IP addresses which never have their cookies checked.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Common issues with Captcha and Cookies include:
Web-wide Captcha
Issue: Captcha pages appear on the entire website, not only the designated areas.
Cause: The most likey cause is an angoing attack, that caused the WEDOS Protection AI to deploy the Captcha protection on more pages.
Solution: Wait for the attack to subside. If the page appears to be stuck, see Stuck WEDOS Protection Page.
Stuck WEDOS Protection Page
Issue: A WEDOS Protection page, such as Captcha, Cookies, or other user verification, is stuck and users cannot bypass it.
Solution: Try:
- Purging the WEDOS Protection cache.
- Clearing your browser cache using the Ctrl+Shirt+R keyboard shortcut.
If none of this helps, report an issue to support ⧉. Include the URL and, ideally, a screenshot ⧉.
FAQ
Can I display my own captcha page?
WEDOS Protection currently doesn’t support custom captcha, cookie, or other verifiation pages.
How do I disable captcha entirely?
As long as you’re using WEDOS Protection, you cannot disable captcha entirely, as it is a powerful tool against malicious bots. As an Expert user, however, you can set up very long periods between individual Captcha checks.