What is a Botnet?
A Botnet is a network of hijacked internet-connected devices – such as computers, smartphones, smart TVs, wireless security cameras, or routers — infected with malware. A hacker/cybercriminal (bot herder) remotely controls the devices, often without their legitimate owners’ knowledge, to carry out a variety of illegal actions. The hackers often use the network of enslaved devices to carry out large scale cyber attacks such as data theft, website traffic manipulation, spam emails, phishing scams, ad click fraud, DDoS attacks, and malware propagation.
Devices are infected with bot malware through a variety of methods such as phishing attacks, clicking on malicious advertisements or websites, malware-infected apps downloaded via app stores, and password hacking techniques. IoT devices, which tend to have less protection and are vulnerable to a variety of software bugs, are popular targets for bot infections.
Once a device is infected with bot malware, it is sent instructions by the bot herder through a command-and-control center (C&C). The devices are programmed to remain dormant until they receive an order from the C&C server. Some attackers use a decentralized approach to control infected bots by using a peer-to-peer model.
While the motivations of attackers vary, most want something from the victim. This could be a financial reward, such as bitcoin mining, or the ability to inflict damage, such as taking services and websites offline through DDoS attacks. Others seek to steal personal account credentials and sell them on the Dark Web for a profit or as an act of terrorism.