A model for executing and resisting botnet-enabled cyber-attacks and botnet takedowns does not exist. The lack of this representation results in ineffective and inefficient organizational decision making and learning, hampers theory development, and obfuscates the discourse about the “best-case” scenarios for the future of the online world. In this article, a club theory model for botnet-enabled cyber-attacks and botnet takedowns is developed. Initiatives to execute and resist botnet-enabled cyber-attacks and botnet takedowns are conceptualized as collective actions carried out by individuals and groups organized into four types of Internet-linked clubs: Attacker, Defender, Botbeheader, and Botmaster. Five scenarios of botnet-enabled cyber-attacks and five scenarios of botnet takedowns are examined to identify the specific dimensions of the three constructs and provide examples of the values in each dimension. The developed theory provides insights into the clubs, thereby paving the way for more effective botnet mitigation strategies. This research will be of particular interest to executives and functional personnel of heterogeneous organizations who are interested in improving the quality of their communications and accelerating decision making when solving botnet-related problems. Researchers applying club theory to examine collective actions of organizations linked by the Internet will also be interested in this research. Although club theory has been applied to solve problems in many fields, this is the first effort to apply it to botnet-related problems.
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