A botnet is a group of Internet-facing devices which are controlled remotely by a command & control (C&C) server. These devices consist of computers, laptops and Internet of things (IoT) which have been compromised via malware or hacked. This makes botnet detection very important to organizations.
When the person or organization controlling the C&C server wishes to perform any malicious tasks, they will send the instructions via the C&C server to the botnet. Upon receiving their orders, the bots will then carry them out in a distributed manner.
Why is botnet dangerous?
The bots or compromised machines, are basically slaves that have to obey any instructions given by the C&C server. One of the most common uses of a botnet is in DDoS attacks on the network or servers of a particular organization. DDoS attacks flood the servers or networks with so much traffic that they become unusable to normal users.
Botnets can hack computers to steal sensitive data. Data like credit card information is a regular target as it can sell easily on the dark web.
Computer viruses or malwares spread via botnets too. The usually large number of machines available in a botnet make it easier to spread malwares. The viruses are used to turn other machines into bots or to perform other malicious tasks.
Spammers love to use botnets for sending spam as the distributed nature of the bots make it much harder to stop.
Hijacked servers mine cryptocurrencies as well. These will shorten the lifespan of your machines due to the intense load put on them.
How to detect botnet?
The previous section has covered how much damage botnets can do. This makes botnet detection vital to secure your servers and network.
Fortunately, IP2Proxy has threat data for the PX9 package upwards. By checking the threat field, when the value is BOTNET then the IP address belongs to a botnet. Botnet detection is no longer a tough task when using IP2Proxy.
The IP2Proxy data comes in the CSV file format which can be modified then loaded into firewalls or intrusion prevention systems. Daily updates to the IP2Proxy data mean that your intrusion prevention system will always be performing optimally.
Importance of botnet detection & protection
If botnet detection is not part of your IT strategy, then you’ll have some nasty surprises waiting for you. Compromised machines will have their CPU and bandwidth exhausted by crooks controlling the C&C server.
When your computer is used in a crime like hacking, you or your organization could be implicated. Legal troubles will incur unnecessary costs, especially if you are charged with a crime.
Countries are increasing wary of data privacy issues, hence the introduction of regulations like the European Union GDPR. Having bots on your network will lead to data breaches which will hit your organization with a huge fine. Your organization’s public image can suffer as well, making your customers less likely to trust you again.
Deploying threat detection prevents your customers’ credit card info or your proprietary sensitive company data from being stolen. Using the threat field data from IP2Proxy, all manner of threat detection is enabled, especially for the botnet detection.
Conclusion
Protection from botnets is no longer an optional feature. Every organization should utilize IP2Proxy PX9 and above for botnet detection. Unauthorized access to data or resources inside your network can only lead to bad things like legal trouble, huge fines, etc.
On the whole, using IP2Proxy is cheaper than trying to get rid of a botnet once it has infested your systems. Not to mention all the issues that a botnet can cause.