What it is
An IoT botnet is a herd of hacked smart devices - cameras, doorbells, routers, lights - all controlled by an attacker. Each infected gadget becomes a bot that can join massive spam blasts, password cracking, or internet-crashing DDoS attacks.
How it spreads - quick tour
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Default passwords left on devices are guessed in seconds
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Old firmware with known bugs gets exploited
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Open ports and UPnP expose devices to the internet
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Infected devices scan and infect other devices automatically
What you may notice
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Sluggish internet, buffering, or router overheating
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Devices behave oddly or reboot on their own
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ISP warnings about malicious traffic from your connection
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Router logs show unfamiliar connections at strange hours
Prevent it
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Change default passwords on every device - use unique, strong ones
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Update firmware regularly and enable auto updates if available
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Put smart gadgets on a separate Wi-Fi or VLAN and disable UPnP
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Turn off remote access you do not need and close unused ports
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Use a reputable router with firewall and device isolation features
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If compromised: reset to factory settings, update, and secure before reconnecting