Is Someone Else Controlling YOUR Computer?

Written by D.K. Palmer

Friday, 16 July 2010 07:29

by D.K.Palmer

A 'bot' is another term for 'robot.' The word robot in this case, is being used to describe some software that can perform tasks automatically. 'Malware' is a type of program created to sneak into a computer without the owner's knowledge. When a computer has been infiltrated by malware, more software is downloaded to place the computer under remote control. That computer is then called a Zombie or a bot because it is under the control of a new master, rather than the original owner.

Zombies, that is, remotely controlled computers, can be combined into networks, called botnets. Those who control botnets are called 'bot masters' or 'bot herders.' The more computers on a botnet, the more powerful it becomes. The largest botnet I'm aware of had 12.7 million infected computers on it. That botnet was called Mariposa and was taken down in early 2010 by Spanish authorities with help from the FBI and at least one private Internet Security firm. Most botnets I've read about are no where near that size, but can easily consist of hundreds of thousands of infected computers. One of those infected computer could belong to you or someone you know.

What are infected computers, or even botnets used for? Their primary purpose is to make money by committing crime. Much as a criminal will steal a car to rob a bank, today's cyber criminals hijack computers to commit Internet crime. Once a computer is hijacked, it will be infected with malware to search for names, e-mail addresses, passwords, user ID, account numbers, etc. This information can either used directly or sold on the black market to other criminals.

Botnets are also used to send out millions of spam e-mails daily. In some cases the spam is commercial in nature and tries to sell counterfeit Rolex watches or pharmaceuticals. In other cases the e-mail is sent in an attempt to drive traffic to a specific web address to infect visitors in a 'drive-by' attack. Other times the e-mail is an attempt to steal user names and passwords in phishing attacks. The most sophisticated use of botnets is to launch cyber attacks against websites, businesses, servers or networks. Large scale cyber attacks can affect entire countries. Estonia, a highly wired country on the Baltic Sea was attacked in 2007 and essentially shut down for 3 weeks.

This is a great quote from Rik Ferguson, a senior security analyst at the Internet security firm Trend Micro. It sums up the situation we're all facing. "...most non-commercial spam these days is aimed solely to get you to click on a link, even out of curiosity. As soon as you click on that link, you're infected, most likely to become yet another botnet victim, have your identity and information stolen and go on to participate, all unknowingly in the infection of further victims."

Billions of dollars are spent annually to protect computers from malware such as viruses, Trojans, worms, etc. More billions are lost to theft and fraud not to mention the cost of repairs, lost productivity and missed business opportunities. Yet there is no end in sight. Malware is created by organized, sophisticated and well-funded criminal gangs. Their goal is to take your money and they've found an endless variety of ways to reach that goal. Antiquated laws and a lack of resources hinder the efforts of law enforcement.

About the Author:

To be safe on the Internet you need to know how to protect yourself. Here's a recent post on Internet Security that can help you get started: http://techteachtoo.com/internet-security/internet-security/ If you find this information useful, you might also like the website http://techteachtoo.com. A free e-mail newsletter is available, or you can subscribe via RSS.

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