What is a Botnet?
The term botnet may bring to mind 1990s action movies wildly guessing what the 21st century would be like, but it’s a real thing and a serious threat to cybersecurity. A botnet is a network of computers and Internet of Things (IoT) devices infected with malware that grants attackers remote control without their owners’ knowledge or permission. Together, the compromised devices—also called bots—work in unison to perform automated cyberattacks, such as distributing spam emails, harvesting credentials, or launching distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.
Hackers (also known as “bot herders”) use botnets to amplify their attacks and gain access to sensitive information with little cost and effort. By commanding thousands of devices simultaneously, a botnet can execute massive attacks that are impossible for individual hackers to execute on their own.
Botnets can be formed through phishing campaigns, software vulnerabilities, or exploiting default credentials on IoT devices, such as routers and cameras. They are then controlled by a single attacker—known as a botmaster—to perform a variety of malicious activities.
To prevent a device from becoming part of a botnet, enable multi-factor authentication on your accounts and check for unusual activity in your network, such as unexplained software installs or network connections to strange addresses or domains. Also, be sure to keep security software up-to-date and perform regular security audits.