BotNet News

A botnet is a group of devices that have been infected with malware and come under the control of an attacker. The term is a portmanteau of robot and network, and it can be used to execute various cyberattacks like spamming, data theft and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.

The most common way for attackers to build a botnet is through malware that’s spread on the Internet. These malicious applications typically use polymorphic techniques and can be updated, allowing the malware to avoid detection by traditional anti-malware solutions.

Once an attacker has infected a device, they can control it remotely using the malware’s centralized command and control servers. These servers typically communicate with bots through a variety of protocols enabled on firewalls so that the attacker’s instructions won’t be blocked by the corporate network.

In some cases, attackers use botnets to steal credentials and sell them online for a fee. One of the most notable examples of this was a massive botnet known as Mirai, which targeted IoT devices running Linux like routers, IP cameras and home automation products to flood targets with traffic and take them offline.

In some cases, an attacker will use a manual botnet to accomplish specific tasks. These bots use remote access tools (RATs) to gain access to compromised systems and allow the threat actor to install other software on a system, like a keylogger or screenshot grabber. These tools are then used to collect information like passwords or account details and send them back to the bot herder’s server.