What type of attacks might a botnet be used for?

A botnet is a network of compromised computers that can be controlled remotely by attackers. The primary use of botnets is to conduct Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. In a DDoS attack, a botnet floods a target server or network with an overwhelming amount of traffic, rendering it slow or completely unavailable to legitimate users. This is achievable due to the sheer number of infected devices that can be coordinated to send requests simultaneously.

DDoS attacks leverage the extensive resources of the botnet, allowing attackers to amplify their impact significantly. The nature of botnets makes them particularly effective for this type of attack since a single attack can involve thousands or even millions of infected machines, making it difficult for any defense mechanisms to handle the volume of requests.

While a botnet can be involved in other types of attacks like phishing, data encryption, or password cracking, these use cases do not capitalize on the botnet's key feature—its ability to generate massive amounts of traffic at once. Thus, DDoS attacks represent the most fitting and widely recognized purpose for a botnet.