Botnets - Organized computer crime?
What is a Botnet? Botnet is a jargon term that is used for a collection of software robots, or "bots". These robots can run automatically and autonomously as hackers remotely control groups of "zombie computers".
This term is usually associated with a collection of computers that have been compromised (zombie computers) that are running programs such as ‘worms, and Trojan horses’ that come in through a back door method. The originator of a botnet is called a ‘bot-herder’, who controls an entire group of these zombie computers remotely, which is usually through IRC. If it is an individual it is manifested as IRC ‘bots’.
A botnet runs hidden and actually complies with the RFC 1459, (IRC) standard, but will exploit buffer overflows, as well as many other security holes in operating systems and software. There are botnets that can scan the whole environment and multiply themselves, seeking any weak spots or weak passwords. The more vulnerable spots in a computer, the more it can go through. Because botnets are hidden, they have become a huge problem in the Internet.
A botnet can use several connections, such as dial-up, DSL, and broadband cable. They can also use several types of networks, such as corporate, educational and yes, the government and military. These networks are as vulnerable as our own personal computer. An IRC server installation can be hidden by a controller on an educational or entertainment site, and if there is a high-speed connection, a huge number of bots can be supported.
How does it work?
A virus or a worm is sent over the Internet in an email that has been created by a botnet operator. These viruses and worms infect any ordinary computer, using a Trojan which is the ‘bot’. When a bot is on an infected PC, it will log itself into an IRC or web server which is also the command center of the computer.
The next step comes when the operator sells access for the botnet to a spammer. Next, using the IRC server, the spammer will send out instructions to send spam messages to a huge number of email addresses. Additionally some botnets will try and get into the computers and begin to steal application serial numbers, financial information, login Ids, and credit card numbers. They try to get access to anything that is stored in the computers registry.
The botnet community is continually growing, with each controller trying to gain the most bots, the most "high-quality" infected computers such as universities, corporations or government systems. It seems to be a contest of sorts among them.
Can this be prevented? Yes, but there are several types of attacks, and each one is handled differently, these attacks are:
1. Denial of Service
2. Adware: this is an advertisement for commercial use that affects our computers without our knowing or our permission.
3. Spyware: this software tries to send information to the creator about our activities on our computer
4. Email spamming: Emails come disguised as a personal email, but are a form of advertising.
5. Click-fraud: This is when your computer is visiting websites without you ever realizing it, creating false web traffic for the personal or commercial gain.
If you want to make sure that your computer isn’t part of any computer crime organization, please make sure to implement these anti spam tips and discover plenty more valuable windows tips and tricks.
Tags: otnets, spyware, spam mail, computer safet | otnets, spyware, spam mail, computer safet