What is a botnet?

A botnet is a collection of computers that have been infected with malicious software and may be controlled remotely. A bot is a single machine that is under the control of the bot-herder. The attacking party can direct every computer on its botnet to carry out a coordinated illegal action from a single central location. Because of the size of a botnet, an attacker may carry out large-scale operations that were previously impossible to accomplish with malware. Infected devices can acquire updates and modify their behavior on the fly since botnets are controlled by a remote attacker. In result, bot-herders can frequently rent access to areas of their botnet for a large profit on the black market.

Actions that could be performed by a botnet

• Spam botnets are among the greatest in scale, despite the fact that email is now considered an older channel for attack. They're primarily used to send out massive amounts of spam mails, which often include viruses. For example, the Cutwail botnet can send up to 74 billion messages each day. They're also used to propagate bots so the botnet can grow.


• DDoS attacks – these attacks take advantage of the botnet's massive size to flood a target network or server with requests, rendering it unavailable to its intended users. DDoS attacks are carried out against businesses for a variety of reasons, including personal or political benefit, or to extort money in order for the attack to cease.


• Botnets targeted directly for the straight theft of funds from businesses and credit card information are included in financial breaches. Financial botnets, such as the ZeuS botnet, have been blamed for assaults that resulted in millions of dollars being stolen directly from several businesses in a short amount of time.


• Smaller botnets meant to target specific high-value systems of businesses, allowing attackers to enter and intrude deeper into the network. Attackers specifically target enterprises' most precious assets, such as financial data, research and development, intellectual property, and consumer information, making these incursions exceedingly risky.

How to Protect Yourself from Botnets

• All user passwords for smart devices should be improved. Your gadgets will be safer if you use complicated and long passwords rather than weak and short passwords. For example, "abcd".


• Purchasing equipment with a low level of security is not a good idea. While it's not always obvious, many low-cost smart home devices put user comfort over security. Before purchasing a product, read reviews on its safety and security features.


• Admin settings and passwords should be updated on all of your devices. On anything that links devices to devices or to the internet, you'll want to check all feasible privacy and security choices. To access their software systems, even smart refrigerators and Bluetooth-enabled vehicles have default manufacturer passwords. Hackers can infiltrate and infect each of your linked devices if custom login credentials and private connectivity aren't updated.


• Any email attachments should be avoided. The best strategy is to avoid downloading attachments entirely. When you need to download an attachment, look into the sender's email address and make sure it's correct. Also, antivirus software that checks attachments for viruses before you download it is a good idea.


• Try not to click on a link in an email. Botnet virus can be spread by text messages, emails, and social media messages. Avoid DNS cache poisoning and drive-by downloads by manually typing the link into the address bar. Take it a step further and look for an official version of the link.


• Install anti-virus software that is up to date. A good internet security package will keep your computer safe from Trojans and other threats. Get a product that works with all of your devices, including Android phones and tablets.