By Mr. Abhishek Srinivasan
Botnet attacks are rising at an alarming rate. Marked by the evolving threat landscape and increasing sophistication of attacks, organizations are at an all-time high from botnet attacks.
Unethical use of AI and ML, the rise of bots-as-services (BaaS), and designing site-specific bots are all factors fueling the fire.
Therefore, taking cautionary steps and comprehending how to detect and mitigate botnet attacks is crucial for businesses.
How do Botnets Work?
Botnets are a group of infected bots led by a threat actor, often called a bot herder. Cybercriminals take advantage of security flaws in web applications, networks, and systems to gain unauthorized access. Once inside, they can plant malicious software (malware) or launch harmful attacks, such as stealing data or disrupting operations.
Bots also increasingly mimic human behavior and patterns to bypass traditional security modes, such as CAPTCHA verification.
Here are a few ways in which threat actors conduct botnet attacks:
1. DDoS
DDoS is an attack where botnets send overwhelming traffic to the targeted website to exhaust its server. This intentional overload aims to either crash the website, making it inaccessible to legitimate users, or create a distraction while attackers launch other malicious activities.
2. Phishing
Hackers send out large numbers of emails or messages containing harmful files or links. These attacks aim to trick users into opening the malicious content, which then allows the attacker to gain access to the target organization’s network.
3. Account Takeover
ATO (account takeover attacks) are a common malware-based crime such as botnets. Examples include brute force and credential stuffing attacks, where threat actors leverage many bots to try and crack the passwords by trying different possibilities.
4. Scraper bots
Botnets aren’t just used for brute-force attacks; they can also be weaponized for data scraping, posing a significant threat to organizations. These “scraper bots” systematically extract information from websites, often targeting sensitive data like consumer data, financial information, and intellectual property.
Threat Detection Strategies
While detecting a botnet attack on websites isn’t always easy, several key symptoms can serve as red flags and alert IT teams to potential threats. Ignoring these signs can make websites vulnerable to data breaches, service disruptions, and reputational damage.
Network traffic should be continuously monitored for unusual spikes or dips in traffic, especially outside of typical peak hours. Unidentified traffic originating from unexpected locations or countries is another symptom of bot infiltration.
Security teams should also watch out for system outages or performance issues without any identifiable cause. For example, unexplained slowdowns in website loading times or overall system performance can be signs of bots consuming excessive resources.
Other symptoms include difficulty accessing critical business services/software, a spike in spam emails, and an unusual rate of login attempts.
Botnet Prevention Strategies
Identifying botnets on the website is only half the battle won. Here are essential steps businesses can take to fortify their defenses and prevent such attacks in the first place:
1. Patch Early, Patch Often
Software vulnerabilities are like open doors for botnets. Regularly updating all software (operating systems, applications, plugins) with the latest patches closes these doors, hindering attackers’ attempts to exploit them. Remember, botnets often target specific vulnerabilities, so prompt patching is crucial.
2. Employ next-gen firewalls
Traditional firewalls offer basic protection, but next-generation firewalls (NGFWs) go beyond. They analyze deeper network and website traffic aspects, identifying and blocking malicious bots based on behavior, reputation, and other advanced methods.
3. Strengthen password protection
Passwords have been the most exploited mode for malware. While having unique and strong passwords for all accounts is ideal, it’s a hassle for users to remember or store them in a safe place. That’s where passwordless authentication provides utmost security. This method leverages users’ biometric identification, which cannot be duplicated or hacked by threat actors, giving ironclad security to the IT teams.
4. Educate and Empower Your Team
Empower your team with regular cybersecurity training. Teach them to identify phishing attempts, avoid suspicious links, and report unusual activity. A knowledgeable team becomes a vigilant first line of defense against botnets.
5. Monitor Failed Login Attempts
Keep an eye on failed login attempts, especially if they surge abnormally. Establishing a baseline for typical attempts allows you to identify suspicious spikes that might indicate botnet activity trying to crack passwords. Set alerts for such spikes to take prompt action.
6. Leverage Zero Trust
The Zero Trust approach assumes no user or device is inherently trustworthy within the network. Every access attempt requires verification through multi-factor authentication and continuous authorization. This makes it much harder for bots to infiltrate and move laterally within your network.
Conclusion
Botnet attacks are on the rise, posing a serious threat to businesses of all sizes. The potential consequences are dire, from data breaches and financial losses to disrupted operations and reputational damage. While monitoring for signs of an attack is crucial, it’s only half the battle.
The key to securing your organization lies in proactive botnet mitigation strategies. By implementing these measures, businesses can significantly minimize the repercussions of a potential attack.
(Article by Mr. Abhishek Srinivasan, Director Product Management at Array Networks, and the views expressed in this article are his own)
