What is a Botnet?
A botnet is a network of malware-infected computers, devices, or systems under the control of an attacker. These devices are used to carry out cyberattacks at a large scale. These attack methods are much more efficient than individual threat actors and can easily disrupt Internet services, target organizations, and steal sensitive information.
The attacker builds the botnet by injecting malicious code into the target device, using security vulnerabilities or social engineering techniques. Once a device has been infected, it will monitor and listen for instructions from the botmaster’s Command and Control (C&C) servers. These can be distributed through data posted online, social media messages, responses to DNS queries, and more. Bots also communicate with each other through a decentralized peer-to-peer (P2P) system, where each infected device acts as both a client and server, to build a more resilient and difficult to take down network.
Once the bots receive new commands, they will perform an array of automated attacks against their targets. This includes Distributed Denial of Service attacks, which flood a target’s network with traffic, preventing it from handling legitimate requests. Bots can also be used to harvest credentials, execute CPU-intensive tasks, or deliver malware.
Ensure that you have the latest software updates, use strong passwords, and only connect to trusted networks. Also, treat all links as suspicious and right-click or long-press on them to see where they lead before clicking. Antivirus programs often have lists of known bots, and will prevent them from installing on your device if detected.