Botnets in cyber security

Short for “robot network,” botnets are a serious issue facing enterprise security today. In June 2022, a botnet dubbed “ In the most significant attack, Cloudflare has ever seen, the Mantis botnet generated 26 million HTTPS requests per second with a mere 5,000 botnets made up of hijacked virtual machines and powerful servers. Although powerful, cyberattacks like the one orchestrated by the Mantis botnet are not uncommon. In fact, the number and volume of DDoS attacks is expected to double in 2022 compared to 2021, according to In the fall of 2022, the Protecting devices against botnets is becoming increasingly critical for organizations. But the question remains – what exactly are botnets and how do they work? How can organizations protect their devices from being controlled by a botnet, and secure themselves against botnet-launched cyberattacks? What is a Botnet in Cyber Security? Botnets are networks of hijacked devices infected by a common type of malware and used by malicious actors to automate widespread scams and massive cyberattacks. Each individual device on a botnet is known as a “bot” or a “zombie,” and the malicious actor behind each botnet is called a “bot-herder.” Infected devices, or bots, can include personal computers, servers, mobile devices, and Individual threat actors or small teams of hackers can use botnets to execute much larger attacks than previously possible. With little cost and time investments, botnets are both widely accessible and more effic...

Abstract Malicious networks of botnets continue to grow in strength as millions of new users and devices connect to the internet each day, many becoming unsuspectingly complicit in cyber-attacks or unwitting accomplices to cybercrimes. Both states and nonstate actors use botnets to surreptitiously control the combined computing power of infected devices to engage in espionage, hacking, and to carry out distributed denial of service attacks to disable internet-connected targets from businesses and banks to power grids and electronic voting systems. Although cybersecurity professionals have established a variety of best practices to fight botnets, many important questions remain concerning why levels of botnet infections differ sharply from country to country, as relatively little empirical testing has been done to establish which policies and approaches to cybersecurity are actually the most effective. Using newly available time-series data on botnets, this article outlines and tests the conventionally held beliefs and cybersecurity strategies at every level—individual, technical, isolationist, and multilateral. This study finds that wealthier countries are more vulnerable than less wealthy countries; that technical solutions, including patching software, preventing spoofing, and securing servers, consistently outperform attempts to educate citizens about cybersecurity; and that countries which favor digital isolation and restrictions on internet freedom are not actually be...

A botnet is a cyberattack that uses multiple networked devices to run one or more bots on each device and then uses this swarm of infected devices to attack a server, company website, other devices, or individuals. This article explains the meaning of botnets, their different types and attack techniques, and best practices to protect against botnet-driven cybercrime. Table of Contents • • • • A botnet is defined as a cyberattack that uses multiple networked devices to run one or more bots on each device and then uses this swarm of infected devices to attack a server, company website, or other devices or individuals. How Botnet Attack Works A botnet (the abbreviated form of “robot network”) is a network of malware-infected computers controlled by a single attacking party known as the bot-master. Another threat actor called the bot-herder converts the swarm’s components into bots. Typically, the bot herder will hijack a network of computer systems to create a botnet and then use it to execute various types of cyberattacks like scams, brute force attacks, malware invasions, etc. A bot-master then directs a group of hacked computers using remote commands. After compiling the bots, the herder utilizes command programming to control their other behaviors and aid the bot-master in fulfilling the ultimate ulterior motive. The operator in command of the botnet may have set up the swarm or could be renting it from another third party with access to the devices. Each malware-infected...

A botnet is a legion of electronic devices infected with malware and remotely controlled by malicious actors. This cybercrime phenomenon has kept organizations and individual users on their toes for more than a decade, fueling massive spam campaigns, data theft, click frauds, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) raids, stealth cryptocurrency mining, and even extortion stratagems. One of the biggest pitfalls is that most users do not suspect that their machines are plagued by a Trojan or a worm that quietly executes dodgy instructions issued by botnet operators. Some extra CPU load and an uptick in web traffic usage are the only red flags in most cases, but that is not something t he average user would notice. The silver lining is that antivirus tools are growingly effective at identifying and purging botnet-related malware from systems. However, the sophistication of some botnets makes them invisible to mainstream security solutions. This is the case with , one of the most dynamically evolving strains of botnets that easily slips under the radar of traditional defenses. It debuted in 2014 as a Trojan that zeroed in on Austrian and German users and tried to steal their e-banking credentials. The pest has extended its reach dramatically ever since. In 2018, Emotet operators repurposed it to download other harmful payloads, including ransomware and scareware. This campaign culminated with a shift toward botnet activity in 2019. After infecting a computer, Emotet adds it to it...

In March 2020, a small team at Microsoft dismantled Necurs, one of the world’s largest This botnet, which infected 9 million computers around the world, is one of the biggest contributors to spam email threats and has been used in a wide range of scams. Like other botnets, it uses a network of computers infected with malicious software that can be controlled remotely. Botnets are highly sophisticated, acting as a unified threat and often run by well-resourced operators. Tracking them down and preventing them from carrying out further infections and attacks is a complex task that takes coordination across geographies and organizations. [Read more: ] Botnets are a problem without borders The size and scale of botnet attacks can be immense, taking down websites in distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks and using information gathered for ransom and financial crime. Cutwail, a botnet first identified in 2007, could send Botnets remain a tool of cybercriminals because of the sheer number of devices they infect. And with increased connectivity, Internet of Things and cloud technology, there is Botnets are used for multiple purposes: mining for bitcoins, unearthing private and financial information for fraud and ransomware attacks, as well as DDoS attacks on businesses and governments. Infected networks are also rented out to other cybercriminals, as was the case with Necurs. [Read more: ] Since the outbreak of COVID-19, we have witnessed cyberattacks on hospitals and organi...

By • • Technical Features Writer • News Director A botnet is a collection of internet-connected devices, which may include personal computers (PCs), servers, mobile devices and Infected devices are controlled remotely by threat actors, often cybercriminals, and are used for specific functions, yet the malicious operations stay hidden from the user. Botnets are commonly used to send How do botnets work? The term botnet is derived from the words robot and network. A bot, in this case, is a device infected by malicious code, which then becomes part of a network, or net, of infected machines all controlled by a single attacker or attack group. A bot is sometimes called a zombie, and a botnet is sometimes referred to as a zombie army. Conversely, those controlling the botnet are sometimes referred to as bot herders. The botnet malware typically looks for devices with vulnerable endpoints across the internet, rather than targeting specific individuals, companies or industries. The objective for creating a botnet is to infect as many connected devices as possible and to use the large-scale computing power and functionality of those devices for automated tasks that generally remain hidden to the users of the devices. For example, an ad fraud botnet infects a user's PC with malicious software that uses the system's web browsers to divert fraudulent traffic to certain online advertisements. However, to stay concealed, the botnet won't take complete control of the operating system (O...

A Chronological Look at the Biggest Botnet Attacks of the 21st Century A botnet attack is a specific type of attack in which a malicious hacker gains control over a series of computers. These computers are then directed by the attacker to launch massive-scale cyberattacks like Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks. This results in harm to the computers taken over and the targets of the attacks, including massive financial losses (Balaban, 2021). Thankfully, ethical hacking and penetration testing can be used to stop botnets in their tracks. 2000: It Starts with EarthLink Spammer EarthLink Spammer was one of the first botnet attacks. The attackers engaged in phishing—a cornerstone of botnet attacks—and sent emails that purported to be from well-known websites. These phishing attacks tricked users into turning over sensitive information, including usernames, passwords, and credit card numbers, thus enabling the EarthLink Spammer to gain even more information. Its creator, Kahn K. Smith, was caught, and a USD 3 million judgment was issued against him (White Ops, 2021). 2007: The Threat Explodes 2007 was a turning point in botnet attacks. The year saw an explosion of botnet attacks, resulting in the deployment of additional cybersecurity resources and a variety of countermeasures, like penetration testing methodologies. • Cutwail specifically targeted Windows systems, using them to send the Pushdo Trojan, which turned computers into spambots. At its peak, Cutwail was se...

Abstract Malicious networks of botnets continue to grow in strength as millions of new users and devices connect to the internet each day, many becoming unsuspectingly complicit in cyber-attacks or unwitting accomplices to cybercrimes. Both states and nonstate actors use botnets to surreptitiously control the combined computing power of infected devices to engage in espionage, hacking, and to carry out distributed denial of service attacks to disable internet-connected targets from businesses and banks to power grids and electronic voting systems. Although cybersecurity professionals have established a variety of best practices to fight botnets, many important questions remain concerning why levels of botnet infections differ sharply from country to country, as relatively little empirical testing has been done to establish which policies and approaches to cybersecurity are actually the most effective. Using newly available time-series data on botnets, this article outlines and tests the conventionally held beliefs and cybersecurity strategies at every level—individual, technical, isolationist, and multilateral. This study finds that wealthier countries are more vulnerable than less wealthy countries; that technical solutions, including patching software, preventing spoofing, and securing servers, consistently outperform attempts to educate citizens about cybersecurity; and that countries which favor digital isolation and restrictions on internet freedom are not actually be...

By • • Technical Features Writer • News Director A botnet is a collection of internet-connected devices, which may include personal computers (PCs), servers, mobile devices and Infected devices are controlled remotely by threat actors, often cybercriminals, and are used for specific functions, yet the malicious operations stay hidden from the user. Botnets are commonly used to send How do botnets work? The term botnet is derived from the words robot and network. A bot, in this case, is a device infected by malicious code, which then becomes part of a network, or net, of infected machines all controlled by a single attacker or attack group. A bot is sometimes called a zombie, and a botnet is sometimes referred to as a zombie army. Conversely, those controlling the botnet are sometimes referred to as bot herders. The botnet malware typically looks for devices with vulnerable endpoints across the internet, rather than targeting specific individuals, companies or industries. The objective for creating a botnet is to infect as many connected devices as possible and to use the large-scale computing power and functionality of those devices for automated tasks that generally remain hidden to the users of the devices. For example, an ad fraud botnet infects a user's PC with malicious software that uses the system's web browsers to divert fraudulent traffic to certain online advertisements. However, to stay concealed, the botnet won't take complete control of the operating system (O...

In March 2020, a small team at Microsoft dismantled Necurs, one of the world’s largest This botnet, which infected 9 million computers around the world, is one of the biggest contributors to spam email threats and has been used in a wide range of scams. Like other botnets, it uses a network of computers infected with malicious software that can be controlled remotely. Botnets are highly sophisticated, acting as a unified threat and often run by well-resourced operators. Tracking them down and preventing them from carrying out further infections and attacks is a complex task that takes coordination across geographies and organizations. [Read more: ] Botnets are a problem without borders The size and scale of botnet attacks can be immense, taking down websites in distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks and using information gathered for ransom and financial crime. Cutwail, a botnet first identified in 2007, could send Botnets remain a tool of cybercriminals because of the sheer number of devices they infect. And with increased connectivity, Internet of Things and cloud technology, there is Botnets are used for multiple purposes: mining for bitcoins, unearthing private and financial information for fraud and ransomware attacks, as well as DDoS attacks on businesses and governments. Infected networks are also rented out to other cybercriminals, as was the case with Necurs. [Read more: ] Since the outbreak of COVID-19, we have witnessed cyberattacks on hospitals and organi...