Description: A Zombie Network, also known as a botnet, is a collection of computers that have been infected with malware and are remotely controlled by an attacker. These machines, often without the knowledge of their owners, become tools for carrying out various malicious activities, with Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks being one of the most notorious uses. In a DDoS attack, the Zombie Network sends a massive amount of traffic to a target server or network, overwhelming its resources and causing it to become inaccessible to legitimate users. The main characteristics of a Zombie Network include its ability to operate in a decentralized manner, making detection and removal difficult, as well as its ability to scale rapidly, as new infected machines can be incorporated at any time. The relevance of these networks lies in their potential to cause significant damage to businesses and online services, leading to an increased need for DDoS protection solutions and other cybersecurity measures.
History: The term ‘Zombie Network’ began to gain popularity in the 1990s with the rise of the Internet and the increase in malware activity. One of the first examples of botnets dates back to 1999 when the ‘Mafiaboy’ worm was identified, which was responsible for a DDoS attack against eBay’s website. Over the years, botnets have evolved in complexity and size, with significant events such as the 2000 DDoS attack against Yahoo!’s site, which used a network of compromised computers to generate massive traffic. Since then, botnets have been used in a variety of attacks, and their development has led to the creation of more sophisticated defense tools and techniques.
Uses: Zombie Networks are primarily used to carry out DDoS attacks, where multiple compromised computers simultaneously send requests to a target, overwhelming its response capacity. In addition to DDoS attacks, these networks can be employed for sending spam, data theft, cryptocurrency mining, and malware distribution. Their decentralized nature allows attackers to carry out these activities more effectively and with a lower risk of detection.
Examples: A notable example of a Zombie Network is the ‘Mirai’ botnet, which became famous in 2016 for carrying out one of the largest DDoS attacks in history, affecting services like Dyn, which disrupted access to popular websites like Twitter and Netflix. Another case is the ‘Mariposa Botnet’, which was used to steal personal and financial information from millions of computers worldwide.
