Introduction

Botnets remain a powerful tool in the arsenal of cybercriminals, enabling large-scale attacks such as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS), credential stuffing, spamming, and even sophisticated malware distribution. With the rapid advancement of the Internet of Things (IoT) and more devices connected to the Internet, the scale and complexity of botnets have evolved significantly. As we look toward 2025, botnets continue to pose a serious cybersecurity threat to individuals, organizations, and governments alike.

This blog post will explore what botnets are, their tactics and software, and how to protect against them. We will also dive into notable botnets in the news and explain the technical aspects of how botnets are created, how they are controlled, and their differences from virtualized clusters like Proxmox.

1. What Is a Botnet?

A botnet (short for “robot network”) is a collection of internet-connected devices infected and controlled remotely by a malicious actor, typically referred to as a botmaster or bot herder. These devices, often called bots or zombies, can be computers, smartphones, IoT devices, and even routers. Once infected, they can be used to carry out a variety of malicious activities, often without the device owner’s knowledge.

Think of a botnet like a group of “zombie” computers or devices. These devices—whether they are personal computers, smartphones, or even smart appliances like refrigerators—have been secretly taken over by hackers and turned into bots. Once under the hacker’s control, these devices can be used for harmful purposes without the owner even knowing.

Just like in a zombie movie where the zombies follow the orders of a master, the computers in a botnet follow the orders of the hacker. The hacker can command all these devices to do things that may not only affect the owners but can also disrupt services and even cause large-scale damage across the internet. Without the use of botnets, malicious actors would be limited to the processing power of their own equipment. With botnets, the total processing power of the attacker is greatly expanded, allowing attacks such as brute-forcing sign-ins to succeed more often, or at least render the sign-in page useless due to overloading the server.

2. How Do Botnets Work?

Here’s an example of how a botnet can form:

1. Infection: A hacker uses malware (a kind of software designed to harm or control computers) to infect thousands or even millions of devices. This can happen when someone clicks on a harmful email link or downloads a malicious file from the web.
2. Control: Once infected, these devices—now called bots—are under the hacker’s control. The person who controls the botnet is known as the botmaster or bot herder. The bots can act in unison, carrying out commands sent by the botmaster.
3. Action: With a botnet, hackers can perform various illegal actions, such as sending out massive spam emails, stealing sensitive information (like credit card numbers), or launching attacks that overwhelm websites and make them crash.

3. Common Uses of Botnets

Here are a few ways botnets are used by cybercriminals:

• Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Attacks: A DDoS attack is when a botnet is used to flood a website with traffic, so it becomes so slow or overwhelmed that it crashes. Think of it like a store being flooded with too many customers at once, to the point where the store can’t serve anyone anymore.
• Spamming: A botnet can send out millions of spam emails, often advertising illegal or harmful products. This is how scammers trick people into giving away personal information or money.
• Stealing Personal Information: Some botnets are set up to collect usernames, passwords, or credit card numbers from infected devices. This stolen information is then used for identity theft or sold to other criminals.

4. Notable Botnets in Media

Botnets have even made their way into popular culture, often portrayed in movies and TV shows to highlight the dangers of cybercrime. Some well-known references include:

1. The Matrix (1999): In this iconic film, there’s a scene where the protagonist, Neo, discovers that the world around him is actually a simulated reality. While not directly about botnets, the movie plays with the idea of a system that controls individuals without their knowledge. This concept is similar to how botnets control computers without their owners realizing it.
2. Mr. Robot (2015-2019): This TV show focuses heavily on hacking, cybersecurity, and the use of botnets. The main character, Elliot, is a hacker who becomes involved with a group that uses botnets to carry out large-scale cyberattacks on corporations and governments. The show portrays the power and danger of botnets, as well as the ethical dilemmas surrounding their use.
3. Blackhat (2015): In this movie, a hacker who’s been imprisoned is released to help track down a cybercriminal who’s using botnets for financial gain. The movie showcases how botnets can be used for serious financial and political damage.
4. The Net (1995): In this thriller, the protagonist is a computer expert who stumbles upon a massive conspiracy. While the movie doesn’t specifically mention botnets, it does touch on themes of hacking and the vulnerabilities of digital systems, which is a critical element of how botnets operate.

5. Real-Life Botnets

While botnets may seem like fictional creations, they are very real and have caused major disruptions. Some of the most famous botnets include:

• Mirai Botnet: This botnet, discovered in 2016, was made up of hundreds of thousands of infected Internet of Things (IoT) devices like cameras and home routers. The Mirai botnet was used to carry out one of the largest DDoS attacks in history, which took down major websites like Twitter, Spotify, and Reddit.
• Emotet: Originally a banking Trojan (malware that steals financial data), Emotet evolved into one of the largest and most powerful botnets in the world. It was used to spread other types of malware, steal sensitive information, and launch cyberattacks. It was taken down in 2021 after a global law enforcement operation.
• Zeus: A notorious botnet that was primarily used to steal banking credentials, Zeus had infected millions of computers worldwide. It targeted financial institutions, enabling cybercriminals to steal millions of dollars from victims.

6. What Do Botnets Do?

Botnets are primarily used to execute large-scale cyberattacks, and their applications have grown more sophisticated over the years. Common uses include:

DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) Attacks

• Botnets are often used to flood a target system or network with traffic, overwhelming it and causing it to go offline.
• Example: The Mirai botnet, which took down Dyn in 2016, used IoT devices like cameras and DVRs to launch one of the most significant DDoS attacks in history.

Spam and Phishing Campaigns

• Botnets can be used to send massive volumes of spam emails, spreading malware or phishing attempts.

Credential Stuffing and Brute Force Attacks

• A botnet can be used to automate login attempts across multiple platforms to exploit stolen username and password databases.

Cryptojacking

• Botnets can hijack the processing power of infected devices to mine cryptocurrency, often without the device owner’s consent.

Data Theft and Espionage

• Botnets may be used to exfiltrate sensitive data from compromised systems for espionage or financial gain.

7. Who Uses Botnets?

• Cybercriminals: For financial gain, fraud, and extortion.
• Hacktivists: To disrupt services or promote a political agenda.
• Nation-State Actors: For espionage, surveillance, and cyber warfare.
• Cybersecurity Researchers: (Ethical usage in controlled environments for research purposes).

8. How Are Botnets Created?

Creating a botnet typically involves infecting devices and securing a means of remote control. Below are the common steps involved in creating a botnet:

Step 1: Infecting Devices

• Exploiting Vulnerabilities: Malicious actors often exploit known security vulnerabilities in software or hardware (e.g., unpatched routers or outdated IoT devices).
• Phishing: Using social engineering techniques to trick users into downloading malware (e.g., trojans or fake software updates).
• Malware: Custom malware like keyloggers, backdoors, or rootkits can be installed to maintain persistent access to infected devices.
• Botnet-as-a-Service: Some actors even purchase botnets from underground forums, avoiding the need to build one from scratch.

Step 2: Command and Control (C&C)

• The botmaster sets up a Command-and-Control server (C&C) to remotely control the infected devices. C&C servers communicate with bots to issue commands and receive data.
• Some botnets use peer-to-peer (P2P) protocols, eliminating the need for a central C&C server, making them harder to disrupt.

Step 3: Infection Propagation

• Self-Replication: Infected devices may attempt to spread the infection to other devices on the same network or over the internet using methods like brute-forcing weak passwords or exploiting vulnerabilities.
• Autonomous Operation: Botnets can sometimes operate autonomously once they’ve infected a sufficient number of devices, executing commands and growing without constant input from the botmaster.

9. Command and Control Servers

A Command and Control (C&C) server is a central point where the botmaster can communicate with infected devices. Traditionally, C&C servers were located on central servers, but modern botnets may use decentralized structures, including:

• Centralized Servers: The botmaster directly controls the infected devices from one or more servers.
• P2P (Peer-to-Peer): In more resilient botnets, P2P protocols allow bots to communicate with each other and obtain commands, reducing reliance on a single point of failure.

How C&C Servers Operate:

1. Infection: Malware contacts the C&C server, providing it with information about the infected system.
2. Commands: The botmaster sends commands, which are distributed to the infected bots.
3. Data Exfiltration: The botnet sends back stolen data or logs of successful attacks.

10. How to Protect Against Botnets

Protecting against botnets involves both preventative and reactive measures. Here’s a step-by-step guide to safeguarding systems:

Preventive Measures:

1. Patch Vulnerabilities: Regularly update devices and software to close security gaps.
2. Network Segmentation: Isolate critical devices or systems to limit the impact of an infection.
3. Firewall and IDS/IPS: Implement intrusion detection/prevention systems and firewalls to monitor and block suspicious traffic.
4. Endpoint Protection: Use antivirus and anti-malware software on all devices.
5. Use strong, unique passwords: Botnets often spread through weak security. Using complex passwords that are different for each account can help prevent your device from being compromised.
6. Avoid clicking on suspicious links: Don’t open strange email attachments or click on unfamiliar links. These could be trying to infect your device with malware.

Reactive Measures:

1. Botnet Detection: Monitor outbound traffic for signs of unusual behavior, such as large volumes of traffic or connections to known C&C servers.
2. DDoS Protection: Use DDoS mitigation services to protect critical infrastructure.
3. Incident Response: Have an incident response plan in place to rapidly contain and remediate botnet infections.

11. Botnet vs. Proxmox Clusters

While botnets and virtualized clusters (such as Proxmox) both rely on distributed systems, their purposes and operational structures differ significantly:

• Botnets: Malicious networks of compromised devices controlled by cybercriminals, often for illegal activities.
• Proxmox: A legitimate platform for virtualization and containerization, used for managing clusters of virtual machines (VMs) or containers in a data center for business or development purposes.

Key Differences:

• Purpose: Botnets are used for malicious purposes like DDoS or data theft, whereas Proxmox is used for legitimate IT infrastructure management.
• Control: Botnets are controlled by malicious actors, while Proxmox clusters are managed by administrators following ethical and legal guidelines.
• Security: Proxmox instances, if properly secured, do not involve the security risks associated with botnets.

Conclusion

Botnets are a persistent and growing threat to the cybersecurity landscape in 2024. By understanding how botnets operate, how they spread, and the methods used to control them, individuals and organizations can better defend against these powerful networks of infected devices. Whether through regular software updates, secure passwords, or network segmentation, effective prevention measures can mitigate the