A botnet is a collection of software agents, or robots, that run autonomously and automatically. It also refers to a network of computers using distributed computing software. A computer "robot" or "bot" that serves the wishes of some master spam or virus originator. The main motive behind these botnets is financial gain along with recognition. Botnets have become a significant part of the Internet, albeit increasingly hidden. Due to most conventional IRC networks taking measures and blocking access to previously-hosted botnets, controllers must now find their own servers. Sometimes a controller will hide an IRC server installation on an educational or corporate site where high-speed connections can support a large number of other bots.
