National Webcast Initiative

~ BotNets (Short for Robot Networks) ~

The Invasion of the "Bots" Part II

You Could be a "Zombie" and Don’t Know It!

 

December 19, 2007

The National Webcast Initiative series was held on December 19th with a featured presentation on BotNets. Over 500 individuals representing 43 states and 3 countries registered for this spectacular event. Opening remarks were provided by Mr. William Pelgrin, Chair of the MS-ISAC, followed by Mr. Andre' M. Di Mino , Co-founder and Director of The Shadowserver Foundation.

Recent estimates indicate that out of 600 million computers that are connected to the Internet, up to 150 million are part of BotNets. A bot, short for robot, is an automated software program that can execute certain commands. A botnet, short for robot network, is an aggregation of computers compromised by bots that are connected to a central "controller."  Botnet controllers are often controlled from chat rooms, and can be linked together to form even larger botnets. They are a growing source for staging denial of service attacks, identity theft, phishing attacks and SPAM mail relay services. Anyone can be a victim of a botnet; home users are especially vulnerable to incidents if the proper protections are not in place.

This presentation provided useful guidance about the necessary steps to protecting computers, how to recognize when your machine has been comprised, and how to respond quickly to BotNet attacks.

 

Webcast Presentation

 

Webcast Related Material:

[These resources are provided because they have information that may be useful and are provided as a general reference only. We do not warrant the accuracy of any information contained in the resources and neither endorse nor promote the advertising of any resources. The information provided is by no means an exhaustive list, however, it can be utilized as a foundation from which you can build your knowledge and further pursue these topics on your own.]

The Shadowserver Foundation is an all volunteer watchdog group of security professionals that gather, track, and report on malware, botnet activity, and electronic fraud. It is the mission of the Shadowserver Foundation to improve the security of the Internet by raising awareness of the presence of compromised servers, malicious attackers, and the spread of malware.

  • Webcast Related Material:

http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/cybercrime/bots_page2.html(External Link)

http://www.shadowserver.org/wiki/pmwiki.php?n=Information.Botnets(External Link)

The Department of Homeland Security’s National Cyber Security Division and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center have partnered to establish the National Webcast Initiative to develop a series of national webcasts which examine critical and timely cyber security issues. Embracing the concept that security is everyone’s responsibility, these webcasts are available to a broad audience to help raise awareness and knowledge levels. A number of vendors have offered their services at no cost to government, to help develop and deliver the webcasts.

The National Webcast Initiative is also coordinated by the New York State Office of Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure Coordination(New Window) and the New York State Forum(New Window) .

If you have any questions, please contact 518/473-2227 or email to isac@cscic.state.ny.us .