Bot herder

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Bot herders are crackers who use automated techniques to scan specific network ranges and find vulnerable systems, such as machines without current security patches, on which to install their bot program. The infected machine then has become one of many zombies in a botnet and responds to commands given by the bot herder, usually via an Internet Relay Chat channel.

One of the new bot herders includes Conficker.

A bot herder usually uses a pseudonym to keep himself anonymous, and may use proxy servers, shell accounts and bouncers to conceal his IP address and keep himself anonymous.

A bot herder may chose to spread his bot on a P2P network.