What is a botnet?

A botnet refers to a network of compromised computers that are under the control of a cybercriminal. This network is created by infecting numerous devices—often without the owners' knowledge—using malware or viruses. Once these devices are compromised, they can be remotely managed and utilized to perform malicious activities such as sending spam emails, launching distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, or stealing sensitive information.

The defining characteristic of a botnet is its ability to coordinate various infected machines to act as a single entity for harmful purposes. This can scale up the impact of cyberattacks since multiple machines can be directed to perform tasks simultaneously. Understanding what a botnet is and how it operates is critical in cybersecurity, as it helps in designing strategies to counteract their effects and to protect networks and user data from such threats.