Botnets and How They Work

To individual users botnets are a nuisance because if one were to be using a computer infected with botnet software the machine's performance could be degraded and its reliability reduced. For businesses, however, botnets represent a serious threat to the availability of information technology resources.

Requirements:

Put yourself in the position of a Chief Information Officer of a hospital who must gain support from the administration to purchase hardware and software that can detect and suppress the effects of a botnet infestation on the hospital's computer network. The problem is that you are not certain the board of directors understands the threat and what impact it could have. Prepare a memo for the board explaining the following:

• What is a botnet?
• How do computers become a part of a botnet?
• What impact would it have on the hospital's network if 50% of the computers were infected with botnet viruses?
• How can the damage of a botnet be detected / prevented / mitigated?

Your paper should:

• be 1 page in length, double-spaced,
• be free of spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors.