The BOTNET threat

Our digital world has faced a multitude of information security threats over the years, including worms, viruses, phishing, and spam. Now hackers have a new tool at their disposal: botnets. Botnets foster trade in the spread of malicious code (aka malware), stolen identities, and stolen computing resources by establishing a commercial network behind them.

Botnets are networks of bots, otherwise known as zombie computers, that have been infected and, unbeknownst to the computer owner, can be summoned to perform a wide variety of functions, including spreading spam and phishing schemes or launching distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. Unlike the earlier threats from hackers who were looking for notoriety, botnets are big business with high margins. The emergence of botnets, combined with better known threats like viruses, worms, Trojans, and spam, is creating a very concerning environment for CIOs and anyone who transacts online.

Full story here..