As technology continues to grow, so are the areas of vulnerability. Attackers take advantage of these gaps to gain access to data and information. It is for this reason that preventing botnet attacks is important. Though it isn’t an easy thing to prevent these attacks, here are proven ways you can use them for botnet prevention.
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Use of Superior Botnet Prevention Solution
One of the quality ways of botnet prevention is the use of superior botnet prevention solutions. As you already know, the level of sophistication in the online space has increased and will definitely continue to increase. That’s why it’s important to use advanced detection solutions. You can’t protect your website when using a solution that is less advanced. For example, you can opt for a real-time botnet prevention solution.
According to an article by Springer, botnet operators are using complex ways to mask botnet identity and that’s why it’s imperative to use equally sophisticated prevention tools. The most advanced detection tools are able to undertake behavior analysis in real-time to spot botnet traffic. Once they detect such traffic, they stop botnet activities from affecting your server. Through the use of the latest technology like machine learning, advanced prevention solutions are able to detect new threats in real time.
Close Monitoring of Failed Login Attempts
Another sure way you can employ a botnet prevention technique is closely checking failed login attempts. Failed login attempts are a sign that things are not right. Your website is at a higher risk of botnet attacks if you notice a failed login attempt. Quite frankly, if someone is legitimately entering into his account, failed login attempts are unlikely. Account takeover is a major threat to many online companies today. Cyber criminals use botnets to try out passwords and usernames with the intention of gaining illegal entry to user accounts.
It’s for this reason that monitoring the rate of failed logins is of massive significance. For you to succeed in the monitoring process, you should have a baseline to establish the usual rate of failed login attempts. Through this, you’ll be able to know whenever there is a spike in the number of failed attempts. If you notice an increase in the number of failed attempts, this is a sign that a botnet attack is imminent. This alert should prepare you to take the necessary precautions to prevent botnet attacks.
Software Updates
Software updates are vital in preventing botnet attacks. Viruses and malware are ever increasing on a daily basis. New attacks keep on coming and they come in different and sophisticated ways. It’s for this reason that you should ensure that your system remains updated at all times. This goes a long way to detect and prevent botnet attacks. In most cases, botnet attacks are made in a way that takes advantage of the vulnerabilities of software. With this in mind, you can’t afford to use software that’s not updated. It’s prudent for you to avoid outdated software as it opens doors for botnet attacks.
Network Monitoring
It’s also vital to keep monitoring your network closely. Through this, you’re looking for unusual activities that might threaten the security of your website. One way of monitoring your network to protect from botnet attacks is by gaining an in-depth comprehension of your traffic. Once you know how your traffic behaves, you’ll know when it is behaving in an unusual way. If one can monitor traffic on a 24-hour basis, it will help in identifying any suspicious activity and, in turn, take the necessary action to prevent botnet attacks. Data collection programs and analytics help in detecting unusual activity like botnet attacks. Make it a habit to undertake network monitoring to keep your online platform safe from attacks.
Secure Passwords
Passwords are a feasible way of protecting your website and server. The unfortunate thing is that today, you can’t assume that your passwords are secure if you’ve not taken action to ensure that they are safe. Fraudsters employ different tactics and techniques to try and gain access to passwords so that they can have illegal entry into user accounts. Therefore, as Walden University posits, you should make sure that you create secure passwords with the capacity to protect your online accounts with utmost quality. If you notice that your passwords are not strong and secure enough, the best move to take is to change them immediately. Failure to do so will only increase your online platform’s vulnerability.
Avoid Attachments from Suspicious Sources
Email attachments that are suspicious should be avoided at all costs. People who use botnets to attack websites and servers may choose to use email attachments to infect them. Thus, if you receive email attachments that are suspicious or from unknown sources, you should keep away from such as they could be dangerous to your data and information. In the same vein, avoid connecting to suspicious links. Fraudsters use these links to gain access to user data and information.
Constant System Restoration
Of great importance still, make sure that you perform periodic restoration of your system. This plays an important role in doing away with gaps and vulnerabilities that may expose your system to botnet attacks. The bottom-line is that systems get outdated and, thus, require restoration for them to have the capacity to handle information in the best way possible, offering the much-needed security. For this reason, make sure that you constantly do system restoration whenever necessary.
Malicious actors know that they can take advantage of botnets to attack user accounts and access personal information. The challenge with botnet attacks is that they can go undetected and, consequently, affect one’s business in a big way. People end up losing money or the integrity of their businesses because of botnet attacks. That’s why it’s valuable to ensure that you put in place proper techniques to prevent such attacks. Remember, malicious actors use complex tactics to undertake their illegal activities. For this reason, you should also use proven real-time solutions that can handle the level of sophistication that these persons use.
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