Zombies (Bot and Botnets)
Bot : A ‘bot’ is a type of malicious code that allows an attacker to take complete control over the affected computer – turning the computer into a “robot” that the criminal can remotely control. Once infected, these machines may also be referred to as ‘zombies’. While taking over one computer is useful, the real value comes from collecting huge numbers of computers and networking these so they can all be controlled at once (a botnet). There are between 100-150 million computers worldwide (out of 600 million PCs on the Internet) infected with bots and under the control of hackers. Botnet : A botnet is a group of computers connected in a coordinated fashion for malicious purposes. Each computer in a botnet is called a bot. These bots form a network of compromised computers, which is controlled by a third party and used to transmit malware or spam, or to launch attacks. A botnet may also be known as a zombie army . Originally, botnets were created as a t...