botnet
BOT-net
/ˈbɒtnɛt/
A network of private computers infected with malicious software and controlled as a group without the owners' knowledge.
The power of a botnet comes from the collective scale of many 'zombie' computers.
The story behind the word. A portmanteau of 'robot' and 'network.' The term emerged in the early 2000s as hackers began using IRC (Internet Relay Chat) to control large groups of infected computers like a robotic army.
Word relationships
- zombie network: A more colorful, less technical term for the same thing.
Collocations
- launch a botnet
- dismantle a botnet
- botnet controller
Example sentences
- "The DDoS attack was launched by a botnet consisting of millions of compromised smart home devices." A news story about a massive internet outage.
- "Botnets are frequently used for sending spam, stealing data, and launching large-scale attacks." A cybersecurity research paper.
Memory hook
A 'net' of 'robots' (bots) doing a hacker's bidding. An army of zombie computers.
When not to use
Don't use it for a single infected computer; it must be a network of them.
Fun facts
- The Mirai botnet in 2016 primarily used 'Internet of Things' devices like webcams and routers to take down major websites.
Related words
Explore more words
malware, Cyberwarfare, ransomware, Denial-of-Service, cybersecurity, malicious
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