Botnets Infect 18 Computers per Second, FBI Warns

Botnet armies have become attackers` favorite tool to control and distribute malicious software, infecting more than 500 million computers per year, or roughly 18 systems per second, according to V3.

“The use of botnets is on the rise. Industry experts estimate that botnet attacks have resulted in the overall loss of millions of dollars from financial institutions and other major US businesses,” Joseph Demarest, the FBI`s assistant director, said in a meeting about the agency’s anti-cybercrime plan.

Botnets have inflicted more than $9bn in losses on US citizens and more than $110bn globally. That`s also because botnets can be “rented” and exploited by anyone, including state-sponsored hackers, hackers for hire, organized cyber-syndicates and even terrorists looking to do damage.

The FBI is working on new technologies to mitigate the growing threat.

“The FBI’s overall goal is to remove, reduce, and prevent cyber-crime by attacking the threat through the identification of the most significant cyber-criminal actors,” Demarest said. “Our success can only be attained through co-ordination of our overall cyber-criminal strategy amongst all FBI Cyber Division’s existing and emerging entities.”

With the recent takedown of Gameover Zeus botnet and the continued global expansion of the revived Pushdo Trojan, botnets prove they are among the most prevalent security threats right now.