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	"title": "What is a botnet?",
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	"plain_text": "What is a botnet?\r\nBy Dan Rafter\r\nPublished: 2023-09-01 · Archived: 2026-04-05 17:59:06 UTC\r\nA botnet is a string of connected computers coordinated together to perform a task. Learn how they work and how you can\r\nhelp protect yourself.\r\nPublished September 01, 2023 4 min read\r\nContents\r\n \r\nHow do computers get infected in botnet attacks?\r\nWhat do scammers use botnet attacks for?\r\nHow to help protect yourself against botnets\r\nhttps://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-malware-what-is-a-botnet.html\r\nPage 1 of 5\n\nFrequently Asked Questions\r\nA botnet is a network of private computers that hackers have infected with malicious software. The hackers then control\r\nthese computers remotely without the knowledge of their owners.\r\nCybercriminals might then use the computers they’ve infected to flood other servers with traffic to shut down targeted\r\nwebsites. They might also use infected computers to mine cryptocurrency, flood the internet with spam, send\r\nphishing emails in an attempt to trick victims into giving up their personal and financial information or send waves of traffic\r\nto sites that earn money from all these visits.\r\nFortunately, you can help protect your computer from these botnet attacks. The key is to avoid clicking on suspicious links\r\nin emails or visiting websites known to spread viruses. You should also invest in trusted phishing emails and quickly\r\napprove any updates to this online protection or adjust your settings to allow automatic updates.\r\nHow do computers get infected in botnet attacks?\r\nScammers use different strategies when launching botnet attacks. Phishing emails are often a key component.\r\nA cybercriminal might send you an email that looks like it comes from your bank, cable provider, favorite streaming service,\r\nor credit card company. The email might ask you to click on a link so prevent your service from being shut down or to\r\nupdate your account.\r\nWhen you click on the link, malware floods your device, allowing scammers to take over your computer and stitch it into\r\ntheir botnet network.\r\nYou might also accidentally infect your computer by visiting websites that immediately download malware to your device or\r\nby downloading an infected file from the web.\r\nOnce your computer is infected, the hacker or hackers behind this attack can use it to help launch their botnet attacks. And\r\nyou might not even know that your computer has been infected.\r\nWhat do scammers use botnet attacks for?\r\nOnce hackers use botnets to take control of your computer, they usually use your  device to carry out other tasks, usually\r\nsomething questionable or nefarious. This can  include:\r\nUsing your machine’s power to assist in distributed denial-of-service (DDoS)\r\nattacks to shut down other websites.\r\nEmailing spam out to millions of internet users.\r\nGenerating fake internet traffic on a third-party website for financial gain.\r\nhttps://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-malware-what-is-a-botnet.html\r\nPage 2 of 5\n\nReplacing banner ads in your web browser specifically targeted at you with ads advertising products that will benefit\r\nthem financially.\r\nCreating pop-ups ads designed to get you to pay for the removal of the botnet through a phony anti-spyware package.\r\nBasically? Botnets hijack your computer to do what botnets do: carry out mundane tasks, that are often used for scams and\r\ntheft, faster and better.\r\nHow to help protect yourself against botnets\r\nMost people who are infected with botnets aren’t even aware that cybercriminals have compromised their devices.\r\nFortunately, taking simple, basic precautions when using the internet can not only remove botnets from your your devices, it\r\ncan also prevent scammers from installing them on your computer, tablet and phone.\r\nGood security begins with an anti-virus software that detects malware, removes what’s on your machine and prevents\r\nfuture attacks. \r\nQuickly approve updates of your computer’s operating system. Hackers often  take advantage of known flaws in\r\noperating system security to install botnets.  You can even set your computer to install updates automatically.\r\nThe same is true of the apps on your computer, phone and tablet. Once  weaknesses are found and announced by\r\nsoftware companies, hackers rush to  create programs to exploit them.\r\nDon’t download attachments or click on links from email addresses you don’t  recognize. This is one of the most\r\ncommon ways for cybercriminals to spread  all forms of malware. \r\nUse a smart firewall when browsing the internet. This is easy to do with Mac computers, as they come with firewall\r\nsoftware pre-installed. If you’re using a  Windows-based machine, you might need to install third-party software.\r\nDon’t visit websites that are known distributors of malware. One of the things  that a robust security software can do\r\nis warn you when you’re visiting such  sites.\r\nIn general, hackers tend to look for low-hanging fruit. If you can mount even basic defenses, these scammers will look for\r\neasier targets. \r\nFrequently Asked Questions\r\nWhat is a botnet?\r\nA botnet is a network of private computers that hackers have infected with malicious software. These hackers then control\r\nthese computers remotely, often without the knowledge of their owners.\r\nWhat do botnets do?\r\nHackers use botnets for several scams, including flooding other servers with traffic to shut down targeted websites. They\r\nmight also use infected computers to mine cryptocurrency or send phishing emails in an attempt to trick victims into giving\r\nup their personal and financial information.\r\nWhy do scammers like botnets?\r\nThe main benefit to scammers is that botnets allow them to perform mundane tasks more efficiently. If they want to send\r\nthousands of phishing emails to victims, they can rely on botnets to deliver these emails.\r\nHow do hackers infect computer with botnets?\r\nScammers often send phishing emails to victims, tricking them into clicking on links that infect their computers. You might\r\ninfect your computer, too, if you visit a website that spreads malware or if you download an infected file.\r\nHow can you protect yourself from botnets?\r\nhttps://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-malware-what-is-a-botnet.html\r\nPage 3 of 5\n\nNever open emails from people you don’t know. And never click on links included in unsolicited emails. Your\r\npower company, credit card provider or bank will never ask you to click on a link to verify your financial or personal\r\ninformation. Avoid suspicious websites and make sure you have antivirus software installed on your devices. Keep\r\nsecurity software updated to provide the most protection from botnets. \r\nTry BotSight for Twitter - FREE Bot Detector Tool\r\nFlag suspected bot accounts on Twitter in real-time. Available on iOS and as a browser extension.\r\nDan Rafter\r\nFreelance writer\r\nDan Rafter is a freelance writer who covers tech, finance, and real estate. His work has appeared in the Washington Post,\r\nChicago Tribune, and Fox Business.\r\nEditors' note: Our articles offer educational information and are written to raise awareness about important topics in Cyber\r\nSafety. Norton products and services may not protect against every type of threat, fraud, or crime we write about. For more\r\ndetails about how we research, write, and review our articles, see our Editorial Policy.\r\nhttps://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-malware-what-is-a-botnet.html\r\nPage 4 of 5\n\nSource: https://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-malware-what-is-a-botnet.html\r\nhttps://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-malware-what-is-a-botnet.html\r\nPage 5 of 5",
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	"language": "EN",
	"sources": [
		"MITRE"
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