At IAB Tech Lab we are continually working with the digital advertising industry to find ways to combat ad fraud. We believe that one key area for this effort is targeted collaboration in response to emerging ad fraud attacks. As we’ve seen in the past, there are diverse types of ad fraud attacks that can negatively impact the digital advertising industry. In light of attacks that have emerged and that will likely emerge in the future, we believe that there is an opportunity for the industry to collaborate to better address and respond to an attack when it is discovered.
Today we’re announcing the release of a new set of Best Practices for the Disclosure of Ad Fraud Attacks. We have worked with members of our Programmatic Supply Chain Working Group to develop and consolidate these best practices to drive alignment and consistency across the industry.
The best practices comprise a set of guiding principles that can be expanded and updated as the industry evolves. Given the broad range of ways that a disclosure can be made, this resource provides guidance and recommendations, rather than rigid requirements. By implementing the best practices included in this proposal, disclosing entities will help the industry to better address and respond to ad fraud attacks in a mutually beneficial way. The best practices include:
- Criteria to be considered when disclosing e.g. confidentiality, verification, undue harm, accuracy, timing and origin
- Guidelines for actionable data sharing outlining data points to be shared as part of disclosure that enables receivers to investigate and stand up defensive measures
- Guidance for maintaining confidentiality in disclosure to respect sensitivity and nuances
We encourage companies and organizations to review and implement these best practices whenever there is an opportunity to build broader awareness about an emerging ad fraud attack. We look forward to continuing to engage with our members and the broader community on developing additional solutions like this one. And last, but not least, we’d like to thank HUMAN Security, Magnite, and Google for getting the ball rolling with these best practices.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jill Wittkopp
Senior Director of Product
IAB Tech Lab