From Viruslist.com (Yury Namestnikov)
In the past ten years, botnets have evolved from small networks of a dozen PCs controlled from a single C&C (command and control center) into sophisticated distributed systems comprising millions of computers with decentralized control. Why are these enormous zombie networks created? The answer can be given in a single word: money.
A botnet, or zombie network, is a network of computers infected with a malicious program that allows cybercriminals to control the infected machines remotely without the users’ knowledge. So how does one start? What does a cybercriminal in need of a botnet do? There are many possibilities, depending on the criminal’s skills. Unfortunately, those who decide to set up a botnet from scratch will have no difficulty finding instructions on the Internet. Read the full paper (viruslist.com)