DDoS Botnet

What is DDoS, you ask? DDoS botnets are groups of internet-connected devices led by one or more bots. These botnets are used to launch DDoS attacks to steal data and gain access to your device.

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DDoS Botnet

What is a botnet army, and how do DDoS attacks work?

The cybersecurity landscape was rapidly changing in 1999. With the advent of the internet came a slew of new threats, one of which was the botnet. Pretty Park, the first botnet, was created by a worm. Pretty Park’s botnet communicated with a Command-and-Control server via Internet Relay Chat, eventually becoming commonplace. While PrettyPark was not particularly powerful, the groundwork for future botnets was not overlooked.

What are botnets used for? There are numerous botnets and botnet attacks, but the DDoS botnet is arguably the most popular among the black-hat hacking community. Defining DDoS in more straightforward terms means Distributed-Denial-of-Service, an attack that attempts to take down a network.

A distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack, or DDoSing, can be used alone or as part of a multi-pronged attack against a target. It is a more advanced version of a Denial-of-Service (DoS) attack. It is superior to a DoS attack, whereas the former only uses one machine. A DDoS attack server means an attacker can use multiple machines as their zombie attack army.

The threat actor can overload a target much faster with these numerous machines numbering thousands or millions. The zombie machines send network traffic to a target, which eventually overloads and renders it inoperable.

Is a zombie botnet powerful enough to penetrate data systems? The term “botnet” is formed by combining the words “robot” and “network.” A bot network spam is a network of infected machines, known as “zombies,” that all work to carry out the threat actor’s commands. Assume a cybercriminal wishes to bring a server down.

Wondering how to DDoS a website? To create a botnet, they infect various devices with malware using multiple methods (phishing emails, vulnerability exploitation, etc.). Once they have a large army of zombie machines, they can flood the server with packets, preventing legitimate traffic from reaching it.

What is a Botnet

What are the components of a DDoS botnet?

Many different types of threat actors can use DDoS botnets. These can be ordinary criminals attempting to cause damage to a business, state-sponsored actors trying to attack a foreign enemy, or script kids simply looking to cause mayhem. Even if you don’t know how to use a botnet, it is now simple to gain control of botnet programs by simply renting one. Botnets are designed to steal and run as a service by hackers on the Dark Web, and as long as a client has the cryptocurrency to pay for it, they can gain access to a powerful tool.

DDoS botnets were initially built from malware-infected personal computers. However, the Internet-of-Things (IoT) has expanded options beyond traditional PCs. Anything that connects to the Internet of Things can now be a part of a botnet. Some of today’s most popular botnets (more on that later) are made up of a variety of so-called “smart” devices. A refrigerator, television, tablet, and smartphone are potential zombies in a botnet.

This is made possible by code vulnerabilities, weak passwords, and other security risks. Unfortunately, as the world becomes more technologically advanced, the opportunity for existing threats is fast multiplying. Recently, publicly reachable are posing new DDoS threats to the internet.

Examples of DDoS Botnets

In terms of activity, DDoS botnets are at an all-time high. Several high-profile attacks have crippled multinational corporations and even nation-states in the last decade. Here are some of the most infamous to have hit the global landscape to demonstrate how destructive they can be:

  • Mirai:The Mirai botnet, based on the Mirai malware, first appeared in 2016. It was responsible for some of the most massive DDoS attacks ever witnessed by cybersecurity researchers at the time. Its primary targets for botnet construction were IP cameras and personal computers. It was used to attack social media sites such as Reddit and Twitter, the French web host OVH, large universities such as Rutgers, and the entire Liberian government (namely their internet infrastructure).

  • vDOS:This botnet DDoS tool service rose to prominence due to its use by the cybergang Lizard Squad. vDOS was developed by Israeli hackers charged for its use, and Lizard Squad extensively used it. The group was hell-bent on causing chaos “for the lulz” and possibly making a little money. Using videos, they were able to disrupt numerous gaming services such as Playstation Network and Xbox Live and take down North Korea’s entire internet infrastructure. Lizard Squad used tactics similar to ransomware attackers. The group would demand money before or during a DDoS attack to prevent further damage. What a DDoS attack does is that it causes businesses to lose money every second that they are unable to function, and Lizard Squad hoped to capitalize on this.

Protecting against joining a botnet

attack botnets

So, how does one avoid becoming unwitting accomplices in forming a botnet? The answers are straightforward because they relate to good general security practices.

The first step is to generate a strong alphanumeric password. Many hackers use rainbow tables and programs like Cain and Abel to brute-force their way into a device. It won’t take long for an attacker to gain access by brute-forcing hashes and trying common phrases with simple, commonly used passwords.

Second, make sure that your devices are always patched and updated. Vulnerabilities are a common way for hackers to access a machine because they allow remotely executed code or other malicious tactics to pass through.

Third, do not rely on third-party code unless thoroughly tested. Many people download applications from untrustworthy websites without realizing they give away access. Many malicious applications can also be found in official app stores, so be cautious wherever you download them. A malicious app, once installed, can quickly unleash malware that connects to the C2 server (with you none the wiser).

Strong network security practices are the final method you must implement. This includes firewalls, malware scanners, and a correctly configured VPN. Firewalls will attempt to prevent zombie devices from communicating with the C2 server. Malware scanners will detect and eliminate any malicious software on your devices.

Finally, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) like PureVPN will conceal your actual IP address from an attacker. Hackers will have a tough time locating your network and the devices that run on it with AES 256-bit encryption and servers worldwide.

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