Bot Defense version compatibility

Unified Bot Defense profile configuration was introduced in BIG-IP version 14.1. Since its introduction, each version includes changes to improve bot protection. The following outlines the different settings and their impact if deployed over an unsupported version of BIG-IP.

BIG-IP version 14.0 or earlier

You can deploy bot protection over versions 14.0 or earlier, using the settings found in the DoS profile. BIG-IP devices running versions 14.1 or later cannot provide bot protection using the DoS profile settings. See Managing DoS Profiles in Shared Security to configure bot protection for managed BIG-IP devices running version 14.0, or earlier.

BIG-IP version 14.1 or later

When deploying a unified bot profile over your managed BIG-IP devices, ensure that your configuration meets the minimum requirements of the BIG-IP version. You can create a unified bot profile by going to Configuration > SECURITY > Shared Security > Bot Defense > Bot Profiles.

Bot Properties

Blocking Page Response: The header for the Default Response setting displayed in the preview differs on 14.1. The response header that appears in the blocking page will match the default text used for BIG-IP version 14.1.

First CAPTCHA Response and Failure CAPTCHA Response: The body of the Default Response differs between versions 14.1, 15.0 and 15.1.

For all responses included in Bot Properties, it is recommended to add a custom response, to ensure uniformity across version deployments of bot protection.

Mitigation Settings

The following mitigation settings are not supported by BIG-IP 14.1. If you attempt to deploy a profile with these settings over an unsupported device, the deployment will result in an error.

• Redirect to Pool
• Honeypot Page

Browser Verification

Browser Settings: The Disallow Bot Access option, is not supported by BIG-IP 14.1. If you attempt to deploy a profile with these settings over an unsupported device, the deployment will result in an error.