Glossary

Botnet

A botnet is a network of compromised computers, also known as "bots" or "zombies," that are controlled remotely by a hacker, known as a "botmaster" or "bot herder."

These infected devices, often without their owners' knowledge, are used to perform various malicious activities.

Botnets can be employed for:

  • Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attacks: Overloading a target system with traffic to make it unavailable.
  • Spam distribution: Sending large volumes of unsolicited emails.
  • Data theft: Harvesting sensitive information like passwords and credit card numbers.
  • Cryptocurrency mining: Using the bot's processing power to mine cryptocurrencies without the owner's consent.

Botnets are formed through the infection of devices using malware. The botmaster can then issue commands to the network, coordinating the activities of all infected devices. Detecting and dismantling botnets requires advanced cybersecurity measures, including network monitoring, anti-malware tools, and collaboration between cybersecurity organisations.

Glossary

Dive into Exclusive Networks' comprehensive Cybersecurity & IT Glossary.

Back to Glossary

Knowledge Base

Stay current with new ideas, reports and keep informed on the latest cybersecurity trends.

Knowledge Base

Start growing your business

Whether you need a quote, advice, want to become a partner, or want to take advantage of our global services, we are here to help.

Get in touch