What is a "Zombie Bot"?A zombie botnet is a group of PCs infected with malicious software. These are called “zombies” or bots because they can be used remotely to carry out attacks against other computer systems. Zombies are compromised computers. Botnets are herds of Zombies. They are often created by exploiting vulnerabilities in your PC and inserting malicious software or "malware" usually without the user knowing. Often it is hidden as part of some software or website that the user was interested in. It may occur also with unsecured wireless home networks. Malware is used to create botnets, and botnets are used to further distribute spam and malware. Being a Zombie Bot can hurt Botnets are maintained by a new breed of bad guy known as “bot herders” or “bot masters” that can program your PC as part of a botnet to perform cyber attacks such as spam, phishing and promote the distribution and installation of malware on other PCs. Your PC is infected. You are now also a carrier - and you may not even be aware of it. Some one in six Australian PCs may be part of a zombie bot, already. According to an OECD report last year, the numbers are increasing globally. One study estimates that about 80 percent of web-based malware was hosted on "innocent but compromised" websites. One report found 53.9 percent of all malicious sites were hosted in China, followed by the United States with 27.2 percent. According to the OECD, in June 2006, a software trojan attacked files in Microsoft Windows users' 'my documents.' The files were then encrypted so users could not access them unless they paid a fee for their data. What can we do about it? Your awareness - and resolve - is an important first line of defense against malware and the resulting criminal mischief. Both the public and private sectors, are involved in coordinating industry-wide initiatives. Talk to your friends about it and check out what you can do to prevent your PC becoming one. Don't put up with a compromised PC. See the section on diagnostics/Resources in the next column. National Zombie Bot Awareness week runs in association with National Consumer Fraud Week by The Australasian Consumer Fraud Taskforce. The Taskforce's campaign also seeks to increase public awareness of scams and educate consumers about scams generally and the steps they can take to recognise them and protect themselves from scammers, many of which may use zombie bots to run their scams.
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