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Now Available: Lock It Down 2026 Cybersecurity Awareness Toolkit → Download Today! | Free Live Webinar - Oct. 29, 1:00 PM EDT: AI Is Lowering the Barrier to Cybercrime – What MSPs Need to Know 00d : 00h : 00m : 00s → Register Free! | Now Available: Lock It Down 2026 Cybersecurity Awareness Toolkit → Download Today! | Free Live Webinar - Oct. 29, 1:00 PM EDT: AI Is Lowering the Barrier to Cybercrime – What MSPs Need to Know 00d : 00h : 00m : 00s → Register Free! |

What Is a Botnet?

BSN 9.12.2022

You may hear the word ‘bot’ used in conversations, especially around cybersecurity.  But often we use it without really knowing exactly what it means or how it originated.

The Players

The term botnet is short for robot network.  It describes a network of computers that are infected by malware.  This malware is controlled by a single party, known as the bot-herder.  And each computer that is under that control is known as a bot.