Recently the Federal Trade Commission announced a new effort to combat botnets. Botnets occur when a scammer is able to install malware on your computer turning it into a robot that can steal your information or use your computer to send out spam emails or spread viruses and other malware. The malware that turns your computer into a botnet is installed on your computer when you unwittingly download the malware.
TIP
Never click on links for “free” music or games from a source that you are not absolutely sure is secure. This is a common source of the malware that turns your computer into a botnet. Keep your security software up to date, use strong passwords, never turn off your firewall and be very cautious when using thumbdrives. This is another area where infections occur.