Intelligent botnet attacks in modern information warfare

Abstract

Botnets, networks of compromised and remotely controlled computers (bots) are widely used in many internet attacks. Botnets are the main reason of growing number of unsolicited emails (SPAM), identity and confidential data theft attacks and many other internet criminal and evil-minded activities. It is a main weapon used on targeted computers and also a significant threat even on a whole country scale, when botnets are used in cyber warfare as brute force army performing Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. Brute force gives enormous power to bot masters, but also makes botnet traffic visible and some countermeasures might be applied in early stages. Although those threats nowadays are more or less obvious, there is no single method which could guarantee effective contra measures against botnets, only a combination of many approaches can reduce impact of this malicious power. In this paper we discuss what and why makes this little piece of code to become such a powerful weapon. Our study includes evolution of botnets starting from spreading malicious code, organizing into large modern controlled networks and using them in demolishing action. We have tried to organize known methods of organizing botnets and have analyzed variety of botnet masters tactics and scale of attacks.Using analytic methods we try to predict what cyberspace can expect in the nearest future if botnets will evolve to to silent and intelligent weapons.