How to Prevent a Botnet Attack
A botnet is a network of computers, smart IoT devices like security cameras and power meters, and more that a hacker controls remotely. A cybercriminal can use these infected devices to attack servers, company websites, or other devices and individuals. The malware can also spread to other machines using a factory default password or exploit security vulnerabilities. Fortunately, there are many ways to prevent these attacks.
This article explores the different types of botnet attacks, best practices for preventing them, and how to mitigate the risk of a botnet attack. We also explore the history of the most notorious hacker-controlled botnets and the techniques hackers use to form and maintain their botnets.
The simplest kind of botnet has one command and control (C2) server that pushes commands to all the infected devices. These can range from downloading additional software to launching a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack. Infected devices can communicate with each other over a variety of protocols, including Internet relay chat (IRC) and plain old HTTP. Some bots are also programmed to search for other infected devices and share updated commands or malware versions.
In more sophisticated botnets, the malware can be used to steal login credentials from computer users. It can also be used to eavesdrop on communications, take over web servers to send spam and DDoS attacks, or mine crypto currencies. Cybercriminals can rent out their botnets for these attacks, or sell stolen data and credentials to other criminals.