Who's controlling YOUR computer?
‘Bot,’ is a slang term for ‘robot.’ In this case the term is used to describe a program or piece of software created to perform a task automatically and on command. ‘Malware’ is software designed to infiltrate (infect) or damage a computer system without the owner’s consent. Bots are often included in malware. When a computer has been infected by a bot, it’s said to be a Zombie, in that it’s now under the control of it’s master, not the owner.
Zombies, that is, remote controlled computers, can be combined into networks, called botnets. Those who control botnets are called ‘bot masters’ or ‘bot herders.’ The more computers on a botnet, the more powerful it becomes. The largest botnet I’m aware of had 12.7 million infected computers on it. That botnet was called Mariposa and was taken down in early 2010 by Spanish authorities with help from the FBI and at least one private Internet Security firm. Most botnets I’ve read about are no where near that size, but can easily consist of hundreds of thousands of infected computers. One of those infected computer could belong to you or someone you know.
What are infected computers, or even botnets used for? Their primary purpose is to commit crime. Much as a criminal will steal a car to rob a bank, today’s cyber criminals hijack computers to commit Internet crime. Once a computer is hijacked, it will be infected with malware to search for names, addresses, passwords, user ID, account numbers, etc. This information can either used directly or sold to on the black market to other criminals.
The computer might also be use to send thousands or hundreds of thousands of spam e-mails. The e-mail might be commercial, in an attempt to sell products such as pharmaceuticals, or the e-mail might be sent in an attempt to infect other machines, or to steal other passwords and User IDs. That last process is called phishing.
This is a great quote from Rik Ferguson, a senior security analyst at the Internet security firm Trend Micro. It sums up the situation we’re all facing.
“…most non-commercial spam these days is aimed solely to get you to click on a link, even out of curiosity. As soon as you click on that link, you’re infected, most likely to become yet another botnet victim, have your identity and information stolen and go on to participate, all unknowingly in the infection of further victims.”
So what can you do to protect yourself? Here’s a recent post on Internet Security that can help you get started.
http://techteachtoo.com/internet-security/internet-security/
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