What Is a Botnet and How Your Device Could Be a Part of One

You’re reading emails.
Browsing normally.
No signs of infection.
But what if your computer is secretly part of a criminal network?

Welcome to the world of botnets — one of the stealthiest cyber threats around.

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1. What is a botnet?

A botnet (short for “robot network”) is a collection of infected devices — called bots or zombies — that are remotely controlled by a hacker (the botmaster).

Your device could be doing things like:

• Sending spam emails

• Participating in DDoS attacks

• Mining cryptocurrency

• Spreading malware to others
  …without your knowledge.

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2. How do devices get infected?

Botnets usually spread through:

• Trojans or malware hidden in apps

• Fake downloads or pirated software

• Phishing emails

• Exploits in outdated software

• IoT devices with weak passwords (like routers, cameras)

Once infected, your device connects to a command-and-control (C&C) server and starts taking orders.

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3. Why don’t you notice?

Most botnet malware is:

• Designed to run silently

• Uses minimal CPU/RAM to avoid detection

• Hides under names like svchost.exe or system32update.exe

• Communicates in the background only when needed

That’s what makes it so dangerous — it’s working against you, invisibly.

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4. Signs your device might be part of a botnet

• Unusual internet upload activity (even when idle)

• PC runs hot or slow without explanation

• You’re blacklisted from sending emails

• Antivirus detects strange outbound connections

• Battery drains quickly (on mobile)

• Unexplained background processes or services

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5. How to protect yourself (and remove botnet malware)

Step 1: Run a deep antivirus scan

• Use offline scan tools like Microsoft Defender Offline, Bitdefender Rescue Disk

• Follow with Malwarebytes or ESET Online Scanner

Step 2: Check your network traffic

• Use GlassWire or Wireshark to analyze outgoing connections

• Look for suspicious IPs or unexplained traffic

Step 3: Update and secure everything

• Install OS and app updates

• Reset router firmware if needed

• Use strong passwords for all network devices (especially IoT)

Step 4: Reinstall if necessary

• If the infection persists, consider a clean OS install

• Always change passwords after cleaning a botnet infection

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Key points to remember

• A botnet is a network of infected devices controlled remotely

• Your device can be part of one — even without symptoms

• Botnets spread via malware, phishing, and insecure devices

• Use deep scans, update everything, and monitor your network

• If it feels off — it’s worth checking. Silence is a red flag