A botnet is a group of connected computers or other devices that are infected by malware and controlled by a single attacking party, known as a “bot-herder”. Each individual device under the control of the bot-herder is known as a “bot”. Botnet is short for “robot-network”. This network of devices is controlled as a group without the owners’ knowledge to send spam emails, distribute malware or launch DDoS attacks.
How do Botnets Work?
Botnets don’t usually target specific individuals or companies and the botnet malware is typically designed to infect as many devices as possible.
Botnets only use a small portion of the infected device’s resources and run in background to avoid suspicion.
Bot-herders create botnets by sending malware to unknowing recipients via file sharing, email, social media, or by using other bots as intermediaries. When they are opened, malicious files infect the targeted device with code that instructs the device to report back to the bot-herder. The herder is then able to send commands to the the infected device.
Featured image credit Cliff Hang from Pixabay
