What type of attacks can a botnet facilitate?

Botnets are networks of compromised computers or devices that attackers can control to perform a variety of malicious activities. One of the most significant capabilities of botnets is to launch denial of service (DoS) attacks. In a DoS attack, a botnet can flood a target system or network with an overwhelming amount of traffic, rendering it unavailable to legitimate users. This is often referred to as a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack, where many compromised devices (the bots) work in concert to disrupt services.

Another serious threat that botnets can facilitate is data theft. By using the combined power of numerous infected machines, attackers can extract sensitive information, such as personal data, financial credentials, or proprietary business information. In some instances, botnets may also be used to access networks and exfiltrate data without the knowledge of the victim.

While phishing, identity theft, email spamming, and other activities are indeed linked to cybercrime, they are not the primary functions of a botnet. Phishing attacks often involve social engineering tactics that don't require the infrastructure of a botnet, and email spamming can be done through various means outside of botnets. Internal auditing of financial records is not relevant in this context, as it