Botnet

A botnet is a network of computers hijacked by a third-party source with the intention of carrying out malicious cyberattacks. Cyberhackers create botnets by exploiting vulnerabilities in a computer’s operating system or web browser. Once a hacker has gained access to various company devices, they then run automated programs on them at the same time to spread viruses, send spam emails, or launch a denial-of-service (DDoS) attack across a computer network. In most cases, an organization will not be aware that their company devices have been compromised until unusual network activity is uncovered by network analysts. To mitigate the risk of company devices being converted into botnets, businesses typically use antivirus or antimalware software that regularly scans their computer systems to identify and address suspicious network activity.