TTinCo-
Not quite true. The zombie programs can check back with the "master" for instructions.
Example (not really sure if this is how it's done, but way it might be done):
Hacker creates some hidden webpage. The program checks this page once or twice a day. The page contains IP addresses to attack and maybe a link to a new hidden page for tomorrow's attack.
So, the zombies can get updated instructions. There are much more sophisticated ways to accomplish communication with the zombies, but my example was just to illustrate that it is not difficult.
Not quite true. The zombie programs can check back with the "master" for instructions.
Example (not really sure if this is how it's done, but way it might be done):
Hacker creates some hidden webpage. The program checks this page once or twice a day. The page contains IP addresses to attack and maybe a link to a new hidden page for tomorrow's attack.
So, the zombies can get updated instructions. There are much more sophisticated ways to accomplish communication with the zombies, but my example was just to illustrate that it is not difficult.
TTinCo-
I just got the idea because I often program my software with kill-switch type flags in a file. I can change the file info without restarting the program, and it picks up the changes next time it checks. There's no reason the "file" couldn't be on a webpage instead of a normal file on the computer running the zombie.
There are a lot of programs like the SETI Project, weather and medical research that let Internet users download "safe trojans" that work on solving these big super-computer problems when your computer is sitting idle while you read a page. These programs run for a few hours, report back the results and then get a new set of instructions. It's call "Distributed Computing" and it's a way for ordinary people to help in cancer research and other important stuff.
The problem is that the techique can easily be turned around for a hacker to do damage by infecting many computers.
I just got the idea because I often program my software with kill-switch type flags in a file. I can change the file info without restarting the program, and it picks up the changes next time it checks. There's no reason the "file" couldn't be on a webpage instead of a normal file on the computer running the zombie.
There are a lot of programs like the SETI Project, weather and medical research that let Internet users download "safe trojans" that work on solving these big super-computer problems when your computer is sitting idle while you read a page. These programs run for a few hours, report back the results and then get a new set of instructions. It's call "Distributed Computing" and it's a way for ordinary people to help in cancer research and other important stuff.
The problem is that the techique can easily be turned around for a hacker to do damage by infecting many computers.
