BotNet News

A botnet is a network of computers infected with malware that are commanded by an attacker or cybercriminal. They can be used for many attacks such as distributed denial-of-service attacks (DDoS), phishing campaigns, click fraud, and stealing sensitive information. Any internet-facing device that has software or hardware that can be manipulated with malware has the potential to become part of a botnet. This includes computers, mobile devices such as phones and tablets, and even smart home appliances and devices connected to the internet, known as Internet of Things (IoT).

A hacker orchestrates a botnet using a command-and-control server to send automated commands via an established network protocol to infected “bot” programs on victim’s machines (zombie computers). Attackers often program the bots to remain dormant until they receive a command from the C&C server before executing malicious activities or cyber attacks.

While there are several different reasons attackers create a botnet, the most common is simply to make money by attacking services and websites for profit. They may also want to build a reputation as a skilled hacker by attacking as many systems as possible and gain the admiration of other hackers for their skills.

Bots are designed to evade detection and disruption by hiding their identity, modifying their software, and using sophisticated communication methods. Some of these include using the Internet Relay Chat (IRC) as a C&C channel and encrypting communications, utilizing advanced evasion techniques such as SSL tunneling, and leveraging existing peer-to-peer networks to connect with other bots. These decentralized models further obscure the identity of the bot herder and make them more difficult to shut down by locating and identifying their control centers.