Introduction to Botnet

Bot is a kind of malicious script that is launched in the victim’s system to infect the system. It may be launched through websites (click fraud) or through a different way to steal personal information such as user name and password (phishing). The term botnet originates from the word tobot, which means to automate the task and perform all instructions given by their issuer, i.e., botmaster or botherder who performs from the remote location. The term bot is new as compared to the terms virus, worm, and Trojan. The users of the computer most of the times are unaware of the fact that their systems are compromised and are used for spreading malicious activities such as spreading spam or viruses to infect other computers using the Internet. This chapter reveals the in-depth knowledge of botnet and its evolution. It provides basic knowledge of botnet with some real examples. The chapter also discusses about the evolution of botnet and its lifecycle. It provides the details of all the existing bots with their establishments. Further, the chapter helps to know about the structure of botnet and also gives knowledge of all botnet security attacks including hacking and the terrorist attack on the Internet. It provides in-depth knowledge about all the traditional and recent botnet attacks.