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A computer bot – which is short for robot – is a software application programmed to execute specific tasks as part of another computer program or to simulate human activity. Bots are designed to automate tasks on their own without human intervention, thus eliminating cumbersome manual processes. These tasks are often highly repetitive and predefined and can be done far more quickly, reliably and accurately than a human.

Botnet, a term derived from "robot network," refers to an assembly of computers that malware has compromised. These infected machines, individually known as "bots," are remotely controlled by an attacker, often referred to as the "bot-herder." This network of bots can launch synchronized, large-scale attacks on targeted systems or networks. Given that a botnet can incorporate millions of bots, the bot-herder has the capacity to execute substantial and highly impactful criminal operations.

Bot-herders typically control the botnet remotely through a command-and-control server. This allows them to steal personal data and passwords, propagate spam messages, or launch other types of attacks, such as DDoS attacks, taking maximum advantage of the computing and bandwidth resources made available through the botnet.