Network and System Security

CHAPTER 8

The Botnet Problem

Daniel Ramsbrock,* Xinyuan Wang,* Xuxian Jiang†*George Mason University,† North Carolina State University

A botnet is a collection of compromised Internet computers being controlled remotely by attackers for malicious and illegal purposes. The term comes from these programs being called robots, or bots for short, due to their automated behavior.

Bot software is highly evolved Internet malware, incorporating components of viruses, worms, spyware, and other malicious software. The person controlling a botnet is known as the botmaster or bot-herder, and he seeks to preserve his anonymity at all costs. Unlike previous malware such as viruses and worms, the motivation for operating a botnet is financial. Botnets are extremely ...