What Is a Botnet?
Botnets are a network of malware-infected computers that are capable of launching targeted attacks over the Internet. They can be used to carry out a variety of tasks, including mass email spamming, DDoS attacks, and crypto mining. The number of devices within a botnet has an effect on its functionality.
To operate a botnet, the malware needs to infect a wide variety of machines. This is because the more devices that are compromised, the more functional the botnet will be. Consequently, the complexity of securing all of these devices increases.
There are two main types of botnets. In the first, a single machine is controlled based on its IP address. Using specialized software, the bot can be programmed to perform a specific task in a certain scenario.
A second type of botnet is one that is decentralized, using a peer-to-peer network. This model allows for the direct exchange of resources between all of the infected devices. However, it is more difficult to set up than the other types.
While a botnet is an excellent example of a distributed computing system, it is only as good as its network. That means that if the botnet is centralized, it is more vulnerable to a single point of failure.
The newest versions of botnets are decentralized. The resulting network is more tolerant to the ravages of time. It also makes it harder for a single organization to prevent an attack.
Some of the more interesting aspects of a botnet are the tools that it uses to communicate with other bots. For instance, Internet relay chat is a lightweight protocol that is easy to install on bots.