Many users ask themselves: Am I part of a botnet? In Germany, a large number of computers are said to be misused for criminal purposes.
Am I part of a botnet? Here's how to recognize it
The Federal Office for Information Security speaks of so-called zombie computers if the computers are part of a criminal botnet. A botnet is a network of computers or internet-connected devices secretly controlled by cybercriminals to carry out malicious activities.
- Botnets consist of a network of numerous computers. These PCs are called bots. Becomes a Computer infected with a corresponding virusit becomes part of the botnet. The user usually doesn't notice anything about it.
- The owner of a botnet or the person who created it, known among other things as a bot herder, can then use the individual computers for their own benefit. These spy out information for the attackers or carry out cyber attacks.
- Most bots can infected email attachments. Once you have opened one, the bot will embed itself in your system within seconds. Key generators that are needed for illegally downloaded games are also often contaminated.
- A sign that you are part of a botnet is one slowed internet connection and a constantly busy PC. If you receive any indication that… Spam sent from your email account or your email address has ended up on a “blacklist”, this could also indicate a botnet. Unfortunately, there are no clear signs of a botnet that you can easily recognize. The effects mentioned can also indicate other viruses and pests.
- Many botnets are not constantly active. The bot often waits for commands from its owner or for certain actions by the user. Some botnets only become active when a specific website is opened – for example, those that target online banking data. Beforehand, the malware is virtually undetectable to laypeople.
Botnet check: This is what you can do
In some cases, anti-virus programs can detect and remove the person who introduced your PC into the botnet. Since some anti-virus software also scans Internet traffic, participation can be noticed during operation and the problem can be resolved. However, inactive botnets in particular do not cause any data traffic and are therefore much more difficult to detect.
- First, do one complete scan of your computer with your already installed anti-virus program. We also recommend a scan with the free Malwarebytes Anti-Malware tool.
- For beginners, these are all possible measures. You are well protected from botnets by using your Always keep the system up to date and a Use anti-virus program. You should also be particularly careful on the Internet and not access dubious websites.
- Advanced users can Check Task Manager for new or strange services and startup entries. If you find such an entry, you can delete it. But only do this if you are familiar with it and are sure that it is not a system service.
- If your system is already part of a botnet and your anti-virus program removes a malware, you still cannot be sure that there is not another bot lurking on your PC. You can only definitely get rid of the malware if you restart the system.
- If the infection is particularly severe or you are unable to remove the malware, the safest solution may be to reinstall the operating system. Before reinstalling, make sure you back up important data and also check for malware. Since botnets can also penetrate your network via routers, you should reset your router to factory settings and change all access data, especially the default password.
- Conclusion: If you are not a computer expert, it will be very difficult to track down a botnet. Therefore, take all the necessary security measures to avoid becoming infected in the first place: keep your system and your anti-virus program up to date, avoid dubious websites and do not open any programs or files from unknown sources.