What distinguishes a botnet from other forms of malware?

What distinguishes a botnet from other forms of malware?

• A. It operates independently without user intervention.
• B. It is typically used to steal personal data.
• C. It consists of a network of infected devices controlled by a single entity.
• D. It can only infect mobile devices.

Answer: (C)

A botnet is specifically characterized by its composition of a network of compromised devices, often referred to as "bots" or "zombies," that are controlled remotely by a single entity, usually a cybercriminal or an attacker. This characteristic allows the botnet to perform coordinated actions across all infected devices, such as executing distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, sending spam emails, or carrying out large-scale credential theft without needing direct user intervention on each individual device. This collective control is what sets a botnet apart from other types of malware that may infect individual systems but do not manage or coordinate actions across multiple devices. While some malware focuses on actions like stealing data or spreading via specific device types, the defining trait of a botnet is its ability to harness the power of many devices to act in unison under a single command structure. This makes botnets particularly powerful and dangerous, as they can leverage the overlapping resources and capabilities of all compromised devices for malicious intent.

A botnet is specifically characterized by its composition of a network of compromised devices, often referred to as "bots" or "zombies," that are controlled remotely by a single entity, usually a cybercriminal or an attacker. This characteristic allows the botnet to perform coordinated actions across all infected devices, such as executing distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, sending spam emails, or carrying out large-scale credential theft without needing direct user intervention on each individual device.

This collective control is what sets a botnet apart from other types of malware that may infect individual systems but do not manage or coordinate actions across multiple devices. While some malware focuses on actions like stealing data or spreading via specific device types, the defining trait of a botnet is its ability to harness the power of many devices to act in unison under a single command structure. This makes botnets particularly powerful and dangerous, as they can leverage the overlapping resources and capabilities of all compromised devices for malicious intent.