What Are Botnets And How Do They Works?
Botnets are networks of computers infected by a botnet agent that are under hidden control of a third party. They are used to execute various commands ordered by the attacker. Most common uses of botnets are criminal operations that require distributed resources, such as DDoS attacks on selected targets, spam campaigns, and performing click fraud. Often, the botnet agent is ordered to download and install extra payload or to steal information from the local computers.
From the moment of infection, botnet agents keep in touch with their remote Command-and-Control server (C&C). The communication can be carried by various means, and cybercriminals keep on inventing in new methods to hide their data transmission channels. There have been some uncommon ways thru social media to send commands. However, the most common implementation of the C&C is a web-application, contacted by the client via simple HTTP requests. The use of botnets to mine cryptocurrency like Bitcoin is a good business for Black Hat Hackers..
Its clear botnets are good for Hackers, however what are they exactly? And how can you protect your personal info. and devices?
Step one is understanding how to check if your system is infected and Step two is how you can protect Yourself.
Is Your Computer Infected By Bots?
Here are some of the many ways to tell if your computer is infected by bots:
- 🟠Internet access is slow for no apparent reason.
- 🟠The computer crashes for no apparent reason.
- 🟠The fan goes into overdrive when the device is idle.
- 🟠The computer takes a long time to shut down, or fails to shut down correctly.
- 🟠Pop-up windows and advertisements appear even when you aren’t using a web browser.
- 🟠Friends and family receive email messages you did not send.
- 🟠Computer programs are running slowly.
- 🟠Settings have changed, and there’s no way to reverse them.
- 🟠The browser features components you didn’t download.
How Do I Protect My Computer From Bots?
It’s very possible to protect your computer from bots, but it takes diligence and knowing what to look for. Use the following tips to keep your computer safe:
- 🟣Install firewalls to block malicious attacks and never turn them off.
- 🟣Use a long and complicated password that contains numbers and symbols.
- 🟣Never use the same password for multiple programs.
- 🟣Install quality anti-malware software such as Norton Security to protect your device.
- 🟣Ensure software is up to date, and never ignore system updates.
- 🟣Refrain from using flash drives, or thumb drives, in an infected computer.
Good Bots Vs Bad Bots
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✅The Good One of the typical “good” bot uses is to gather information. Bots in such guises are called web crawlers. Another “good” use is automatic interaction with instant messaging, instant relay chat, or assorted other web interfaces. Dynamic interaction with websites is yet another way bots are used for positive purposes.
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❌The Bad Malicious bots are defined as self-propagating malware that infects its host and connects back to a central server(s). The server functions as a “command and control center” for a botnet, or a network of compromised computers and similar devices. Malicious bots have the “worm-like ability to self-propagate,” and can also:
- 🔴Gather passwords
- 🔴Log keystrokes
- 🔴Obtain financial information
- 🔴Relay spam
- 🔴Capture and analyze packets
- 🔴Launch DoS attacks
- 🔴Open back doors on the infected computer
- 🔴Exploit back doors opened by viruses and worms
Bots are usually used to infect large numbers of computers. These computers form a “botnet,” or a bot network..
Hope You learned something new from this tutorial, In next tutorial You will learn how to setup Botnet..