What best describes a botnet?

• A. A Single Compromised Computer
• B. Networks of Compromised Computers Controlled by a Central Attacker, Typically Used for Launching Coordinated Attacks, Distributing Spam, or Conducting DDoS Attacks.
• C. A Type of Password-Cracking Tool
• D. A Cloud-Based Management Console

Answer: (B)

A botnet is a coordinated network of compromised devices under centralized control, used to perform malicious actions as a team rather than individually. Each infected device becomes a bot that receives commands through a command-and-control channel, allowing the attacker to direct many machines at once. This setup makes large-scale activities like launching synchronized attacks, sending bulk spam, or conducting distributed denial-of-service assaults more effective and harder to trace. It’s not just a single compromised machine, and it isn’t a password-cracking tool or a cloud-based management console—the defining idea is the distributed, centrally controlled fleet of bots working together under one attacker’s control.