Botnet attacks have seen a significant surge in recent years, with the second quarter of 2025 witnessing a 74% increase in application layer DDoS (Layer 7) attacks compared to the same period in 2024. itpro.com Financial services firms were the primary targets, accounting for 43.6% of these incidents. These attacks are particularly challenging due to their ability to mimic legitimate user behavior, making them difficult to detect and mitigate. The emergence of larger and more sophisticated botnets, such as the 911 S5 botnet dismantled in 2024, which had about 19 million active bots operating in 190 countries, underscores the growing scale of this threat. blog.barracuda.com
In response to the escalating threat, researchers are developing advanced detection techniques. A notable approach involves the use of deep learning models, such as stacking Deep Convolutional Neural Networks with Bi-Directional Long Short-Term Memory networks, achieving a testing accuracy of 99.76% in detecting botnet attacks in IoT environments. arxiv.org Additionally, the integration of machine learning and deep learning models into Software-Defined Networking (SDN) has shown promise in enhancing the detection capabilities of IoT networks. mdpi.com These advancements highlight the critical need for continuous innovation in cybersecurity measures to effectively combat the evolving landscape of botnet attacks.