Check if an IP address is part of a botnet commonly known as an nslookup, is one way to see what devices are connected to your network. But this method is limited because it depends on the IP address of the server that hosts a domain. To get a more complete picture of your website’s traffic, you need to perform an IP reputation check.

A botnet is a group of computers, typically IoT endpoints like routers and smart TVs, infected with malware that enables a hacker to control them. Once a cybercriminal is in control, they can use the infected devices to take down sites or carry out attacks like DDoS attacks.

Check if an IP Address is Part of a Botnet: Detection Tools”

Hackers build these networks to accomplish various illegal or malicious tasks, such as sending spam, stealing data, injecting ransomware, clicking on ads or launching DDoS attacks. One of the more recent examples was the Mirai botnet, which used thousands of IoT devices enslaved by malware to conduct massive 1 Terabit/second DDoS attacks on OVH, Dyn and other prominent websites.

A robust security solution can improve your ability to detect botnet activity. For example, a device fingerprinting solution can identify requests made from botnets and other risky connections and prevent them from accessing your site. The solution can also examine your logs for anomalous behavior, such as the usage of unusual languages or user agents. Then, it can take additional actions, such as reducing the TTL (Time To Live) on DNS records to force DNS servers to refresh their cache more frequently.