Botnetiin

Botnetiin is a Finnish term that translates to "botnet" in English. A botnet is a network of compromised computers, often referred to as "bots" or "zombies," that are controlled remotely by an attacker, known as a "botmaster." These compromised devices are typically infected with malware that allows the botmaster to issue commands and control their actions without the owners' knowledge.

Botnets are built through various infection methods, including phishing emails, malicious websites, exploiting software vulnerabilities, and infected downloads. Once a device is compromised, it becomes part of the botnet and can be used to carry out a wide range of illicit activities. These activities can include sending spam emails, launching distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks to overwhelm websites or online services, stealing sensitive information like login credentials and financial data, and mining cryptocurrency.

The sheer scale of a botnet makes it a powerful tool for cybercriminals. The distributed nature of the network makes it difficult to trace the botmaster and disrupt the operation. The compromised devices are often unaware of their participation, and their owners may suffer consequences such as reduced internet performance, unauthorized charges, and becoming unwilling accomplices in criminal activities. Law enforcement agencies and cybersecurity professionals work to identify and dismantle botnets, but the constant evolution of malware and infection techniques makes this an ongoing challenge.