Untangling Botnets

Botnets and cryptocurrency mining might seem like topics from a distant, abstract world, but they are a real and growing danger lurking in today's advanced technological era. In this episode of Security Unlocked, the threat of botnets and their potential impact are expertly examined by Microsoft Defender 365 threat intelligence team member, Elif Kaya.

Botnets are a network of interconnected devices, mostly computers, controlled by a remote attacker without the knowledge of their owners and leveraged for malicious purposes. Cryptocurrency mining is the process of using computer resources to solve complex mathematical puzzles, yielding cryptocurrencies as a reward. Malicious actors such as Carl exploit botnets to carry out cryptocurrency mining and obtain cryptocurrencies at the expense of device owners, often done without their knowledge.  

Elif Kaya explains evolving techniques used by botnets to facilitate financial theft via cryptocurrency mining and the impact on cybersecurity. She also advises on best practices when identifying new botnets and elaborates on the role Microsoft plays in battling this ever-growing threat.

Through this conversation, we learn about the newest techniques employed by botnets, the trends in cryptocurrency mining and where their evolution might be heading. Listeners are treated with expert insights on modern malware infrastructure and competition-killing activities within these botnets.

In short, this discussion provides an engaging and informative understanding of botnets and cryptocurrency mining and equips listeners to stay informed and vigilant in a world where technology threats are ubiquitous. Listen to Security Unlocked for a complete exploration of this topic.