n. a collection of automated scripts or bots which create a small chat-based network; (hence) such a collection intended for malicious or surreptitious uses. Subjects:
English, Technology, Jargon
Citations:
1994 David Van Assche Usenet: alt.irc (Dec. 26) “Re: The No Lag + No Split Alternative”: There are many files available from the bots on the botnet which can be reached even if the bot is on another network. 2002 [Curve] DALnet (Jan. 2003) “Just What Is a Botnet?”: The major difference between a bot in a botnet, and your common eggdrop or IRC client script bot in a channel, is that the botnet variety have been created with a trojan and, almost always, without the knowledge of the person whose computer they are running from. 2004 John Leyden The Register (U.K.) (Apr. 30) “The illicit trade in compromised PCs”: In February German magazine c’t reported how it was able to buy access to infected machines—commonly described in the parlance of spammers as “BotNets”—from virus writers.