A bot – short for robot – is an advanced computer program that acts as an agent for a user. In most cases, bots – also called internet bots – are used to automate certain tasks and stimulate human activity. Put simply, they can function without human instruction.
An individual or an organization can use a bot to work on repetitive tasks that people would normally have to perform. Bots can complete these tasks a lot faster than humans.
While bots perform highly useful functions, they can also come in the form of malware, which is why many refer to them as crawlers or spiders. You could say they have a mind of their own.
Bots operate over a network, communicating with one another through online services, such as Internet Relay Chat, instant messaging (IM) and Twitterbots. As of now, more than two-thirds of internet traffic is bots.
Bots are created from sets of algorithms that assist them in their delegated tasks. These tasks involve conversing with humans (which attempt to mimic their behaviors) or collecting content and data from other websites.
Currently, there are several types of bots designed to accomplish a variety of tasks. A chatbot is a primary example, which relies on several methods to function. Chatbots have different methods of operation:
- AI chatbots are intellectually independent chatbots that often use pattern matching, natural language generation tools, and natural language processing.
- Rule-based chatbots give individuals pre-defined prompts to select.
- Intellectually independent chatbots use machine learning to understand human inputs. They also look for known keywords.
Malicious Bots
Good bots carry out useful tasks for humans, however, bad bots – or malware bots – are destructive and can be used for spamming, hacking, interrupting, spying, and compromising websites.
Malicious bots automate actions classified as cybercrimes. The most common types of malicious bots include:
- Spambots that post promotional content to drive traffic to a website
- Distributed DoS bots that overload a server’s resources and prevent it from operating effectively
Hackers that distribute malware, collect sensitive information, and attack websites. These bots built by hackers are capable of opening backdoors to install more threatening malware.
Prioritizing cybersecurity will help organizations decrease their risk of data breaches and financial losses.
The Warning Signs
Both malware bots and internet bots can be hacked to break into accounts, gather information, or send spam. To follow through with these attacks, hackers will often distribute bad bots in a botnet, or a bot network.
A botnet is a number of internet-connected devices that run one or more bots. This is typically done without the device owner’s knowledge. Botnet traffic comes from countless IP addresses, making it difficult to identify and block the source of the bot traffic.
Bots can even grow themselves by using devices to send out numerous spam emails, which can possibly infect more machines. Bots can appear as a warning stating that your computer will attract a virus if you don’t click on the associated link.
Clicking the link will welcome the bot to infect your computer with a virus. Malware bots can go unnoticed, as they’re hidden within a computer and typically have file names are processes similar to those of a regular system.
Ways You Can Tell if Your Computer is Infected by Bots
There are several ways in which you can tell if your computer is flooded with malware bots, including:
- Programs that previously loaded quickly have slowed down.
- The settings have undergone irreversible changes.
- Your internet access slows.
- Applications that previously worked seamlessly now work sporadically.
- The fan goes into overdrive after you’ve spent little time on the device.
- You can’t download system updates.
- Your computer crashes periodically without known reason.
- Advertisements and pop-up windows appear even when you aren’t using a web browser.
- People you know report receiving spammy messages from you, but you didn’t send them.
My Computer is Infected by Bots. Now What?
If your computer is infected by bots, it’s important to consider protecting your data first and foremost. Follow these next steps:
- Disconnect your computer from the network immediately. This will prevent the theft of sensitive data.
- Move important or personal information to another device as soon as possible. Before you do, ensure these devices are free of malware bots.
- Conduct a factory reset of your computer. Keep in mind that by resetting your device, it will remove files and programs you’ve created, return settings to their defaults, and permanently delete drivers.
- Use a variety of security tools to clean out your computer or hire a professional.
To prevent your computer from an infestation of malware bots, ensure all your devices have cybersecurity installed.
