Protecting Against Botnet Attacks
Most cyberattacks don’t come from a single hacker. Instead, they rely on thousands or millions of devices working together without their owners even knowing about it. These networks are called botnets and they’re one of the most powerful tools in cybercriminals’ arsenals. They’re growing in size and scope as hackers employ AI tools and the number of vulnerable devices that connect to high-speed Internet increases (and they’re always evolving).
The basic definition of a botnet is a group of compromised computers (also known as bots) that are controlled by a malicious hacker, called a bot herder. This herder is able to control multiple bots simultaneously, making them highly effective when launching cyber attacks.
A bot’s initial job is to infect as many devices as possible and then wait for instructions from its controller. The command and control server, or C&C, is usually located in a country with lax laws on Internet use, making it hard for law enforcement to track down and disrupt it. The bot herder may send commands to the botnet that do a variety of things – such as flood a target with DDoS attacks, blast out spam, try stolen credentials against logins, scan for other vulnerable devices or burn processing power mining cryptocurrency.
Preventing botnets requires strong device security, timely patching and network segmentation along with a well-tested incident response process. SecureLayer7’s penetration testing and red-team assessments, including controlled C&C emulation, IoT and network-device testing, endpoint visibility and more can identify gaps in these controls.