IoT botnet definition

IoT botnet is a network of IoT devices that are infected by malware and take commands from an attacker.

IoT botnet attack examples

In 2016, a whitehat security research group MalwareMustDie discovered the Mirai malware, which turns devices into zombie-like bots. Its targets included security journalist Brian Krebs as well as GitHub, Twitter, Reddit, Netflix, Airbnb, and many other high-profile companies.

In 2019, the Mozi network was discovered to have infected about 1.5 million devices. At its peak, the botnet accounted for a huge percentage of all IoT traffic.

Stopping an IoT botnet attack

• Keep your software up to date.
• Don’t click on unknown links.
• Use a VPN.
• Make sure your passwords are unique, complicated, and long.

Further reading