A network of infected computers that are controlled by a single entity, often without the knowledge of the computers’ owners. Botnets are typically used to perform distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, in which the botnet is used to flood a target website or network with traffic, overwhelming its resources and rendering it inaccessible. Examples of botnets include the Mirai botnet, which was used in several high-profile DDoS attacks, and the Storm botnet, which was one of the largest botnets in history.