Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) Practice Exam

A botnet is accurately described as a group of computers that are managed by a central network, usually without the knowledge of the owners of those devices. This centralized control allows an attacker to direct a large number of compromised devices, often termed "bots" or "zombies," to carry out various malicious activities, such as distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, spam emailing, or harvesting personal information.

This setup relies on the use of malware to infect the individual computers, but the essence of a botnet lies in the collective management and control of these infected machines, enabling large-scale attacks that would be impossible for a solitary computer. The other options do not encapsulate the concept of a botnet accurately; they refer to separate elements in cybersecurity and cyber law. For instance, while malicious software is a component used to create a botnet, it does not define what a botnet is. Similarly, a legal framework for reporting breaches and administrative control measures relate to organizational protocols rather than the operational structure of a botnet.