Why are my form submissions filled with random characters?

The contact form that I have created and posted on my website is receiveing submissions that contain gibberish. Here is an example:

Full Name: SugVjXrLoXlRgzLN
Email Address, if online subscription: cJmNcAfCSxcD
Address: RzdPGfrC
Mailing Address if Different: bZZalRjCgnwyRira
Phone Number: teNHehPVGDdsjw
City: HTihaaAoaRxFPH
Province: lbXxOgUj
Postal Code: OoBMtTMUiF
Type of subscription: Online Subscription

Where are these coming from and how do I prevent them?

These are form submissions that have been submitted by an internet bot, an application that is designed to automatically scan websites for vulnerabilities. Please note: the fact that these submissions exist does not imply that your website has been compromised. One of the most effective means of preventing them is to add a captcha to all forms that are accessable to the general public (no login required). 

*A CAPTCHA (an acronym for "Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart") is a type of challenge-response test used in computing to determine whether or not the user is human.

You can add a captcha to your form by modifying it's template: 

  1. Click on Forms
  2. Click on Manage Forms
  3. Select the form template to modify
  4. In "Step 2. Create your Form Fields", click the "Add" button to add an addtional form field.
  5. Select the Captcha functionality from the dropdown.
  6. Enter a field label such as "Please enter the characters that you see in the image".
  7. Save the form.
  • 1 Users Found This Useful
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