A botnet is a network of zombie computers controlled by a single
entity. The term is a portmanteau of the phrase "Robot Network".
Usually, the zombies in use of a botnet are compromised
computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system that
have been infected with some sort of malware. These computers
communicate with other botnet machines via the Internet. Most
botnets are distributed-design systems, with the botnet operator
giving instructions to only a small number of machines. These
machines then propagate the instructions to other compromised
machines, usually via IRC. The distributed design prevents the
discovery of the controlling computers. The anonymity that a
botnet affords often helps the user avoid detection and possible
prosecution. Botnets are effective in performing tasks that
would be impossible given only a single computer, single IP
address, or a single Internet connection. Originally, botnets
were used for performing distributed denial of service attacks.
However, most modern webserv