Hackers trying to build so-called botnets need a central point on the internet where the hacked computers can download new instructions. The most popular channel is usually the communication channel IRC.
Now, Jose Nazario at the security company Arbor Networks has discovered that Twitter could become the hackers’ new communication hub for botnets. By instructing hacked computers to follow rss feeds on predetermined Twitter accounts, botnets can receive new instructions.
A botnet is a collection of computers that have been hacked and then become part of a common network. A hacker in control of a botnet can use a large group of computers to carry out various types of attacks against other computers or services on the Internet.
IDG News