Katana Botnet

Since the Mirai Botnet source code was published online in 2017, cybercriminals have been using it to create and set up their botnets. The latest botnet to follow this pattern is known as Katana, and, unfortunately, it may soon prove to be a major problem. The Katana Botnet is considered to be an unfinished project for now, but malware researchers note that its creators seem to be applying new updates rapidly. Just recently, they introduced a wide range of Distributed-Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack modules, and they also appear to be enhancing the botnet's ability to self-replicate.

Unfortunately, projects like Mirai make it incredibly easy for any cybercriminal to get into the botnet deeds in a matter of days or weeks. There are plenty of tutorials and videos explaining the process from start to finish, therefore enabling any person having a little bit of programming knowledge to set up a project like the Katana Botnet.

It appears that the primary targets of the Katana Botnet are specific brands of routers running outdated software – DLink, LinkSys, and GPON are just some of Katana's targets. Cybersecurity experts have already identified several different samples of the Katana Botnet, which is likely to mean that the criminals have started running test attacks that might be used to fix bugs before launching a large-scale campaign.

Users can stay safe from the Katana Botnet by making sure that their routers and Internet-enabled devices are running the latest available drivers and software.