A proxy-botnet is a network of compromised or rented systems that act as relays for other traffic. Instead of connecting directly to a target, an attacker routes connections through many intermediate nodes, which can hide the true source, spread load, and make blocking harder. In cyber security, this matters because the visible server is often only the last hop, not the operator’s real infrastructure.
Attackers use proxy-botnets to mask command-and-control traffic, relay stolen data, and support spam, credential attacks, or malware delivery. The relays may be cloud servers, disposable VPS instances, or infected devices, and they can rotate quickly to evade detection. Defenders look for repeated hop chains, unusual outbound connections after process launches, shared certificate or DNS patterns, and traffic that resembles normal web browsing but behaves like a forwarding layer. A proxy-botnet is not the payload itself; it is the concealment and transport system that helps the operation survive.