Which term refers to Internet-connected computers that are compromised by malware and used to perform attacks under control of a attacker via a command and control server?

Which term refers to Internet-connected computers that are compromised by malware and used to perform attacks under control of a attacker via a command and control server?

• A. Botnets
• B. Command and control servers
• C. Zombie agents
• D. Compromised hosts

Answer: (C)

Focusing on how attackers operate, each compromised machine becomes an agent that can be commanded to act, all under the direction of a centralized control point. When malware takes over a computer and that machine follows instructions from an attacker through a command-and-control channel, it’s described as a zombie agent. The word “zombie” signals that the host is under control without the owner’s knowledge and is being used to perform tasks the attacker dictates. This distinguishes the individual infected hosts (zombie agents) from the larger network they form (a botnet), the control infrastructure (the command-and-control server), or the generic idea of compromised machines. So the term that best fits the described scenario is zombie agents.

Focusing on how attackers operate, each compromised machine becomes an agent that can be commanded to act, all under the direction of a centralized control point. When malware takes over a computer and that machine follows instructions from an attacker through a command-and-control channel, it’s described as a zombie agent. The word “zombie” signals that the host is under control without the owner’s knowledge and is being used to perform tasks the attacker dictates.

This distinguishes the individual infected hosts (zombie agents) from the larger network they form (a botnet), the control infrastructure (the command-and-control server), or the generic idea of compromised machines. So the term that best fits the described scenario is zombie agents.