Introduction
In this post, you will learn what is a botnet and how they work? And you will also learn the types of botnet attacks. I have already written a detailed post on what is a bot and how bot works, To read [Click here].
What is botnet?
Botnet stand for robot and network. The cybercriminals send infected bots to the user’s computers and make the user’s device involve in a mass cyberattack is called a botnet. In other words, millions of malware affected devices will be in a network of cyberattacks is a botnet.
The aim of the cybercriminals to do a bot net attack is to steal data. A bot can be PC, MAC or mobile.
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How Botnet works
Botnets are created to repeated tasks very often and a single cybercriminal can’t do cyberattack on the biggest companies like Google and Microsoft. So, they need an Army to attack such bigger companies and these cyber criminals create malware and inject in random user’s computer.
The cybercriminals spread this malware by two methods. Firstly, installing software that is malicious or visiting a Malware infected site.
Now you knew how cybercriminals spread the Malware. And these bots have a herder bot that controls all other bots. The herder bot receives commands from the cybercriminal.
Three components make the Bot network;
- Bot Master or cyber criminal
- Control
- Bots
Take a look at the below image on how a Bot networks;
From the above image, we could clearly understand we need a botmaster to control the herder bot. The herder bot collects and send data received from the botmaster. The herder bot is like a mediator. And now these infected devices are ready to perform a DDoS attack.
Also Read: I have already written a post on what is Malware and different types.
Types of Botnet
There are two types of bot net;
- centralize model
- decentralized model
Centralize model
From the above image, I can say the infected devices are not interconnected. And the commands to the bots straightly coming from command and control servers (C&CServer). In a centralized model, there is a high chance of getting caught. Because the command comes from a single source.
Decentralized model
We can call this method a decentralized or P2P method. In this method, there is a herder bot, but it behaves like a zombie computer, which means it behaves like other infected bots.
The above image is an example of decentralizing the Botnet.
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What information does a botnet carry?
- The botnet first reads your system data, and it can rewrite the system data.
- Continuous monitoring of users data.
- Gathers infected device users personal data.
- Check any other connected devices for vulnerability.
Major Botnet Attacks Method
- Phishing method – This method is very old but still it works. The botnets spread many malicious e-mails to unknown users. If a human does it, he needs to compile the malware in a file and attach it with email, and he has to send to each user. But the botnet reduce the time.
- DDoS – Botnet are formed to do this cyberattack DDoS (distributed denial of service). DDoS attack takes place by overloading a server and making them to crash and to this attack the cybercriminal need lots of users.
- Spamming – In this, method the criminal target users data. This method is target to website, forums, chat box etc.,
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