Botnet

A botnet is a cluster of interconnected devices under a single control of a centralized computer.

Updated: October 16, 2023

A botnet is a cluster of interconnected devices under a single control of a centralized computer. Computers, internet of things (IoT) devices, and smartphones are included in these devices.

Often, botnets have malicious intent. The collective computational power of devices is generally used in their network to launch a distributed denial of service (DDoS) against a target.

DDoS protection software is used by many organizations to protect against such attacks while ensuring consistent uptime. Centralized and decentralized are two types of botnet. A command and control (C&C) server model is followed by the centralized botnets where one centralized server commands all devices in a botnet. On the other hand, Decentralized botnets work on a peer-to-peer (P2P) model, where every bot acts as a command center and an attack node.

Brute force attacks, Wide-spread spam attacks, DDoS attacks and Generating fake traffic are various types of attacks on businesses and individuals by these two botnet types.

The architecture of a botnet depends on its types. A client-server model is used by a centralized server botnet, and  the P2P model is leveraged by the decentralized botnet.

You need to keep the operating system (OS) updated, update all installed applications, don't open suspicious emails, avoid downloading from unreliable sources, use strong and unique passwords, avoid clicking suspicious links and get antivirus software to prevent botnet attacks.

Types of botnet attacks


  • DDoS Attacks: Overwhelm target servers with excessive traffic.
  • Spam and Phishing Campaigns: Distribute spam and phishing emails.
  • Credential Stuffing: Automated login attempts using stolen credentials.
  • Click Fraud: Generate fraudulent clicks on online ads.
  • Ad Fraud: Inflate ad engagement for profit.
  • Data Theft: Steal sensitive information from compromised devices.
  • Proxy Services: Establish a network of malicious proxy servers.
  • Cryptomining: Use infected devices for cryptocurrency mining.
  • IoT Attacks: Target Internet of Things devices for disruption.
  • Botnet as a Service (BaaS): Rent or purchase botnets for attacks.
  • Ransomware Distribution: Spread ransomware to encrypt data.
  • Pharming: Redirect web traffic to malicious sites.
  • Man-in-the-Middle Attacks: Intercept and manipulate communications.
  • Zero-Day Exploits: Exploit unknown software vulnerabilities.
  • Brute Force Attacks: Automate password trials for unauthorized access.
  • Credential Harvesting: Collect login credentials for compromise.
  • Web Scraping: Automate data extraction from websites.