botnetbased

Botnetbased, or botnet-based, describes activities coordinated by a botnet, a network of compromised devices controlled by a single operator or group. Botnets typically consist of numerous infected hosts, known as bots or zombies, which receive commands from a command-and-control (C2) infrastructure and execute tasks without the owners’ awareness.

Common uses of botnet-based operations include distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, large-scale spam campaigns, credential theft and data exfiltration, click fraud, and, increasingly, coordinated mining of cryptocurrencies. The compromised devices can range from personal computers to Internet of Things devices, creating a diverse and geographically dispersed network. Botnet operators may rent or sell access to their networks on cybercrime markets, enabling others to launch bespoke campaigns.

Botnets are built and managed through various architectures. Traditional centralized C2 models rely on a central server to issue commands, while more resilient setups use decentralized or peer-to-peer networks, fast-flux DNS techniques, or multiple redundant channels to evade takedowns. The infection lifecycle typically begins with initial compromise via phishing, drive-by downloads, or unpatched software, followed by payload installation, persistence, and periodic beaconing to the C2 for new instructions.

Defenses focus on detection and disruption: monitoring for unusual outbound traffic, beaconing patterns, and command-like communications; patching and hardening endpoints; network segmentation; rate limiting and web application firewalls; and, when possible, takedowns or sinkholing of C2 infrastructure. Understanding botnet-based activity supports incident response, risk assessment, and policy development in cybersecurity.