Zombie computers are used by hackers to carry out DDoS attacks. Here's how to secure your PC from hackers
Because of numerous distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, you often hear about botnets and zombie computers. Much of the development of these cyber threats is due to vulnerabilities in Internet of Things objects. Fortunately, however, with some simple actions, we can defend our PCs.
First, however, let's get some clarity. Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks block the use of a website by sending fake requests so that the server can no longer process them. A DDoS attack, on the other hand, is a variant of a DoS attack that employs a very large number of infected computers to overload the target with fake traffic. Our task must be to prevent our device from becoming a "zombie" and thus generating junk data traffic that hackers can use to block various targets on the Net. The first step is to have an antivirus with a specific scanner for this kind of attacks.
Use a scanner
Not all antivirus on the market unfortunately have a scanner to prevent our device from feeding a botnet. At the moment one of the best solutions is Malwarebytes. Some users will turn up their noses, but often to keep a computer safe it is essential to install more than one anti-malware scanner. It is an operation that takes a bit of time but that will greatly increase your PC's protection. Not all antivirus programs have the same functions and features.
Beware of what we download
We have always said that one of the main dangers to the security of our devices is the attachments and files we download from the Internet. That's why even when we download a cybersecurity program from the Net we have to make sure that it is reliable. Many hackers are hiding malware and malicious code inside some fake free antivirus software online.
Back Up
What to do if our computer is already infected? Once the scanner detects the malware the advice is to make a full backup of the hard disk, in order to remove all possible traces of the virus. To avoid losing even our own data the advice is to make regular backups so that we have the documents and files we need most at all times.