How to Protect Against Botnet Attacks
A botnet is a community of devices—computers, internet of things (IoT) devices and smartphones, for example—that have been infected by malware. A malicious actor called a bot herder controls these devices, collectively known as a “bot.” When used together, these bots provide attackers with a powerful platform to carry out large-scale cyberattacks and steal data.
Infected devices are called bots and are connected to each other via command and control (C&C) servers. These servers allow the bot herder to send commands to thousands or even millions of devices at once. The bots then carry out the attack, ranging from flooding a target with traffic (DDoS) to blasting spam or trying stolen credentials at logins. Some bots also collect personal information, search for vulnerabilities in other devices and pool their processing power to mine cryptocurrency.
Because they are so stealthy, many attacks involving bots go unnoticed by victims. This means that a device can remain part of a criminal bot network for months without any indication that something is wrong. Bot detection requires a holistic approach, with multiple signals—such as network activity, DNS behavior, endpoint monitoring and authentication logs—used to detect suspicious patterns.
Scammers use bots to do everything from stealing your banking details to displaying pop-ups urging you to pay for “anti-spyware” programs. Understanding how to protect against these types of threats starts with a proactive security posture, including robust endpoint protection, consistent patch management and vigilant network monitoring.