The networks formed from infected machines can be called zombie networks. This is why computers infected with bot malware and which are surreptitiously controlled by cybercriminals are also called zombies. The owner of an infected machine usually does not even suspect that the computer is being used by cybercriminals.
In the case of indirect control, the bot connects to the control center or other machines on the network, sends a request and then performs the command which is returned. When bots are controlled directly, the cybercriminal establishes a connection with an infected computer and manages it by using commands built into the bot program. Importantly, the Internet is structured in such a way that a botnet can be controlled anonymously.Ĭomputers infected with a bot can be controlled either directly or indirectly. The owner of a botnet can control the computers which form the network from anywhere in the world – from another city, country or even another continent. They are used as a powerful cyber weapon and are an effective tool for making money illegally. Malicious backdoor programs that are specifically designed for use in creating botnets are called bots.īotnets have vast computing power. The backdoor enables cybercriminals to remotely control the infected computers (which may mean controlling an individual machine, some of the computers making up the network or the entire network). What is a botnet?įirst of all, we need to understand what a botnet or zombie network is.Ī botnet is a network of computers made up of machines infected with a malicious backdoor program. Nevertheless, the scale of the problem caused by botnets is still underrated and many users have little understanding of the real threat posed by zombie networks (that is, until their ISP disconnects them from the Internet, or money is stolen from their credit cards, or their email or IM account is hijacked). The article is the first in a series of publications on the botnet problem.īotnets have been in existence for about 10 years experts have been warning the public about the threat posed by botnets for more or less the same period.
Readers who are already familiar with the subject will find the information on the latest trends in botnet development of interest. This article discusses zombie networks or botnets: how they are created, who uses them to make money on them and how this is done.
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