: a network of computers that have been linked together by malware : a network of bots (see bot entry 1 sense 2b)
Criminals link hijacked personal computers together to form "botnets"—clusters of infected PCs that spammers can control from anywhere in the world.—
Dave Mosher
Dave MosherExamples of botnet in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Web Shield is a component of AVG AntiVirus Free, designed to block access to dangerous websites, malicious downloads, botnets, and threats delivered as scripts.
—PC Magazine, 11 Apr. 2025
Fast flux works by cycling through a range of IP addresses and domain names that these botnets use to connect to the Internet.
—ArsTechnica, 4 Apr. 2025
This can include unauthorized access attempts to restricted areas and unusual communication patterns, such as potential botnet communications activity through irregular traffic patterns.
—Martin Roesch, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
In 2025, the number of DDOS attacks have spiked, partly propelled by a massive botnet largely concentrated in the US delivering record-sized attacks.
—Ars Technica, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for botnet
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PC Magazine, 11 Apr. 2025
Fast flux works by cycling through a range of IP addresses and domain names that these botnets use to connect to the Internet.
—ArsTechnica, 4 Apr. 2025
This can include unauthorized access attempts to restricted areas and unusual communication patterns, such as potential botnet communications activity through irregular traffic patterns.
—Martin Roesch, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
In 2025, the number of DDOS attacks have spiked, partly propelled by a massive botnet largely concentrated in the US delivering record-sized attacks.
—Ars Technica, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for botnet
Cite this Entry
“Botnet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/botnet. Accessed 26 Apr. 2025.
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