Botnet
From Saferpedia
A botnet is a collection of software agents, or robots, that run autonomously and automatically. The term is most commonly associated with IRC bots and more recently malicious software, but it can also refer to a network of computers using distributed computing software.
A botnet network is composed from computers which have been compromised without any knowledge from the user and are controlled trough IRC in order to realize malicious activities like sending spam messages. These "bot" computers act under the command of a hacker or a group of hackers called botmaster.
After creating a bot network, it can be used to serve various purposes:
- launching Distributed Denial of Service (DDos) attacks;
- sending spam messages or messages trying to obtain information using social engineering;
- remote control of computers;
- distributing keyloggers or network sniffers.
Botnet networks can cumulate high processing power thanks to distributed execution of various applications created by attackers and can launch several attacks to a large number of targets. For example, a botmaster can order any computer in the network to send spam, read credit card data (trough keylogger application) or to launch DDOS attacks against hundreds of targets. The number of botnet networks is increasing continuously and are becoming more sophisticated and powerful.
Botnet networks use social engineering elements and e-mail distribution to infect other computers.
Social engineering techniques can be messages like "Photo of X" and an infected attachment that can be a jpg image trying to mislead the user. Botnet networks can develop by themselves by infecting other computers.
This term is in development.
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