← Back to glossary

A group of infected devices controlled by an attacker.

Definition

A botnet is a network of devices infected with malware and controlled remotely, often without the owners knowing.

In plain English A group of infected devices controlled by an attacker.

Why this matters

Why it matters: Botnets can power large-scale attacks, spam, and credential stuffing, leading to account and data compromise.

Example

Example: Thousands of infected computers are used to attempt logins on many websites.