A botnet attack is a type of malicious attack that utilizes a series of connected computers to attack or take down a network, network device, website or an IT environment.
It is perpetrated with the sole intent to disrupt normal working operations or degrade the overall service of the target system.
A botnet attack typically first requires creating numerous botnets or a botnet army. Once the attack is initiated, these botnets are used to send network/Internet-based requests to the target system in a large quantity. These requests can be in the form of simple ping messages to bulk email messages. The attack can slow down the network/server, making it busy enough that other legitimate users are unable to access it or temporarily freeze the server.
Distributed denial of service (DDOS) is common example of a botnet attack that utilizes a number of botnet devices to send a large number of simultaneous requests/packets to the targeted system.
Share this Term
Tech moves fast! Stay ahead of the curve with Techopedia!
Join nearly 200,000 subscribers who receive actionable tech insights from Techopedia.
Latest Articles
By: Devin Partida | Editor-in-Chief for ReHack.com
By: Justin Stoltzfus | Contributor, Reviewer
By: Claudio Buttice | Data Analyst, Contributor
