What are Bots?
Bots also known as “web Robots”, are software that perform automated tasks over the Internet. More specifically, bots are automated applications that are used to perform simple and repetitive tasks that would be time-consuming, mundane or impossible for human beings to perform under commands.
According to the technology enhancements today, Bots accumulate around half of all internet traffic. But when did they come into existence?
Some of the oldest internet bots can be traced back to 1988 with the emergence of Internet Relay Chat, abbreviated IRC which provided automated services to users and sat in a channel to keep the server from closing down due to inactivity. But as of today, Bots are more common as the internet has developed in scale and maturity.
Good bots
Bots were primarily developed to automate routine tasks, for example Google’s web crawler, a page ranking application on the internet, is a bot. This software is an integral part of how search engine optimization works which visits all the websites on the internet and takes note of a page performance in regards to the information listed on it. The pages with the best search Engine Optimization appear higher in browser’s search results.
The most commonly created bots are chatbots that are staged on websites where customer services are required 24/7 for example for inquires. Here Chatbots usually operate on a limited set of guidelines or rails, like an automated answering machine that can detect certain types of language and respond with text to the person asking a question.
Amazon’s Alexa smart speaker is another example of a bot. When you say ‘Alexa’ or ‘OK Google’, you’re talking not to a human being, but a machine. This is a piece of software housed in a friendly-looking metal box that is entirely automated and designed to respond in a certain way to human speech.
Criminal impact of bots
After experiencing the good side of bots in the technology today, they are also seen to be used by cyber criminals to fulfil their malevolent intents other than used for everyday business tasks.
bots can be used to spam links to malicious websites designed to steal your sensitive data, or even carry out co-ordinated denial-of-service attacks to stop users accessing popular sites.
Social media bots are mostly employed to bully companies online by responding negatively to every post they make, impacting the company’s online reputation of the services they offer.
Botnets
When internet connected devices each of which running one or more bots are within an area, they form a Botnet. Botnets can be used to perform distributed denial-of-service attack, steal data, send spam, and allows the attacker to access the device and its connection.
When the Mirai botnet launched a devastating attack on large portions of the internet on the 2016. This was a worldwide network of infected machines which had a portion of their running power diverted to launching DDoS attacks.
Automating botnets to perform a DDoS
Using a toolkit UFONET in Kali Linux which is designed to launch DDoS and DoS attacks, the cyber criminals can automate a number of Botnets and situate a launch to a particular target or range of targets.
How this toolkit works
Initiating the toolkit
operating the toolkit in a graphical interface
Toolkit started
Searching for botnets to use for DDoS attack
Found botnets
Set target to launch the DDoS
Global Grid Attacks
Launching attack with WARGAMES
Prevention of DDoS and DoS attacks
- Network base-lining: Network performance and activity should be monitored so that irregular network behavior is apparent.
- Software patches: All software should be kept up-to-date with security patches and set to auto update.
- Anti-botnet tools: Tools like Network Intrusion Detection Systems (NIDS), rootkit detection packages, network sniffers, and specialized anti-bot programs can be used to provide more sophisticated botnet detection/prevention/removal.
The only solution to securing your network and devices from severity of cyber attacks is through Awareness training.
Summit in partnership with Institute of Forensics and ICT Security avails you with a Cyber Security Awareness that will bring light to the various attacks and how they are done and how to safeguard one ‘self from these attacks at your premises or venue of your choice.
To book for training, contact peter on 0705491997 or email: peter@summitcl.com, or Contact Robson Aine on 0774646208, Email robson@summitcl.com or Visit www.summitcl.com/tools to download free templates or request free tools to improve your work and productivity.
