Template:Article of the Week 2016/25

Botnet Attacks involve networks of infected computers controlled by a hacker or "botherder" without the consent of the computers' owners. These infected computers can be used in complex cyberattacks, including but not limited to Fast Flux attacks where the controller uses the botnet to hide his or her location, Spam attacks, DDOS attacks, and Phishing attacks, all without the knowledge of the computer's owner.

The term botnet comes from the combination of robot and network. Sometimes botnets are referred to as zombie computers or zombie networks because they infect other computers. They can also be hard to detect and shut down once they are established, especially when the average user may not realize they are part of one. For example, when part of the Kelihos botnet was taken down, it reappeared within 4 months.