Counter botnet activities in the Netherlands a study on organisation and effectiveness

Botnets are networks of compromised computers used to carry out malicious activities in a coordinated way under control of a botmaster. Botnets are a major threat on the internet and there is general agreement on the necessity of botnet countermeasures. We studied how counter botnet activities are organised in the Netherlands. Through literature study and an empirical study we analysed organisations involved in counteracting botnets, and their capabilities and legal usage thereof. Our findings are that no single organisation is solely capable or has the authority to effectively oppose botnets, and therefore organisations cooperate in structural and ad hoc ways. Relatively simple botnets can be countered effectively, but capabilities and legal authority to disrupt more complex or foreign botnets are missing.