What is a Botnet?
Botnets are internet-connected devices that are controlled by cyber criminals. They are used to carry out DDoS attacks and spam emails. These devices can be a threat to your online security, your personal data and your business.
Cybercriminals create botnets by infecting tens of thousands of computers. Once they have access to a device, they can then collect sensitive information from it. Some malware can store passwords and other personal information on infected machines.
The malware used in botnets is a type of Trojan. It can be used to harvest financial information and send phishing emails. There are many different variants of this malware.
There are two main types of botnets. A P2P botnet relies on a peer-to-peer network, while a centralized model uses a single command and control (C&C) server. In both cases, the goal is to infect as many connected devices as possible.
A peer-to-peer approach can be more resilient than a centralized model. However, this structure also makes it more difficult to detect and take down the botnet.
For example, the financial Trojan that emerged in July 2007 accounted for 90% of global online bank fraud incidents at its peak. It was designed to steal end-user banking details.
Another malware is the Zeus Trojan. It was initially developed to gather financial information, but it was also used for phishing email campaigns.
The bot herder, or the person controlling the botnet, is a malicious actor who coordinates activity to earn money. He or she can sell or rent the botnet to other cybercriminals for DDoS services.