A botnet is a network of infected computers that can be controlled remotely, forcing them to send spam, spread viruses, or stage DDoS attacks without the consent of the computer's’ owners.
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For your computer to be part of a botnet, it first needs to become infected with a type of malware that either contacts a remote server, or other infected computers in the network, in order to get instructions from whoever is controlling the botnet, which is typically hackers and criminals. Despite being grander in scope and scale, however, a botnet malware infection is no different from a typical malware infection.
You can recognize a computer infected with a botnet in much in the same way as you can identify a computer infected with other types of malware. Signs include the computer I running slowly, acting strangely, giving error messages or the fan starting up suddenly when the computer is idle. These are all possible symptoms of someone using your computer remotely as part of a bot network.
To remove a PC from a botnet network, you need to remove the malicious software that’s controlling it. The best way to do this is to run an antivirus scan of your computer, which should locate the botnet malware, then remove it for you - an easy solution to a dire problem.
Install trusted, powerful antivirus software on your computer
Set your software settings to update automatically
Be careful what you click, download, or open
To protect your computer from becoming a ‘zombie’ in a botnet army, always be on guard for any suspicious downloads. Don’t click on links or attachments sent from email addresses you’re not familiar with, and be careful of what you download onto your computer. Always keep your software and security patches up to date. But most importantly, protect yourself with a powerful antivirus such a Avast Antivirus which will prevent your computer from being infected by any malware, botnet or otherwise.
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Updated on October 3, 2019
