Zombie computer
Zombie computer
(also zombie, bot, robot)
Zombie computer definition
An infected device controlled without its owners’ knowledge. Criminals can exploit the device’s processing power for their own needs (like mining cryptocurrencies) or add it to a botnet for coordinated attacks (like DDoS and spam campaigns).
Real zombie computer examples
2007: The Storm botnet (250,000-1,000,000 zombie computers) was available for hire on the dark web for various criminal activities.
2008: The Mariposa botnet (over 10,000,000 zombie computers) was used to steal credit card numbers and passwords from unsuspecting users.
Avoiding zombie infection
- Use a reputable antivirus and regularly update it.
- Don’t click suspicious links or attachments.
- Keep your OS up to date.
