Reviewing the Current Threat Landscape of Botnets

Botnets have been around for about three decades, and their sophistication and capabilities have evolved rapidly over the period. Originally simple codes that were used for the administration of IRC channels, botnets today pose very formidable threats to systems and network infrastructure. They have become one of the more-preferred options in the toolkit of hackers and cybercriminals; particularly due to their ability to subvert and overrun secure infrastructures within a relatively short time. Research has greatly advanced in trying to keep up with the rapid evolution of the botnet threat. At this time, it is important to review the status of the threat, vis-á-vis the extent of research that has emerged in relation to the threat. This is crucial for understanding the future prospects of the threat, in terms of where it is headed next; as well as what research areas require more work. This exploratory research serves this purpose. It introduces the botnet threat from its early origins; then it traverses the current status of botnets, and summarizes research efforts so far (highlighting some limitations of modern countermeasures). It further goes on to discuss the future trends of botnets and botnet research, before bringing it together to present the current threat landscape.