What is a Botnet?
A Botnet is an extensive network, or net, of infected computers or other devices that are woven together using malware to carry out a malicious attack. Hackers who create these botnets are known as cybercriminals, and the infected computers are referred to as “bots.”
Cybercriminals use botnets to commit a variety of attacks, such as DDoS attacks, spamming, form grabbing (stealing online credentials), ransomware and more. They may also rent or sell access to bots on the black market.
Bots are often difficult to detect, and they can consume a significant amount of a victim’s computing power without the device owner knowing. They are typically launched through security holes in software, websites, phishing or trojan horse viruses.
Originally, bots used the client-server model with a central command center to control infected machines (bots). This centralized approach was easy for the attacker, called a bot herder, to operate because all instructions are delivered via a single channel. More recently, bot programs have been designed to obfuscate the identity of their source, and many now rely on peer-to-peer (P2P) networks instead of a central server.
These P2P bots are much harder to track and disrupt, because the bot herder has no way of controlling a single machine. This is why it’s important to keep all of your systems up to date with operating system patches, use a reputable antivirus program and avoid clicking on suspicious links or opening email attachments. You can also take steps to protect your devices by enabling firmware updates, running factory resets and reformatting your computer when necessary.