The latest major threat in cyberspace is the so-called “Crypto-Jacking” or “Drive-By-Mining”. Hackers attack computers in order to gain access and install Cryptocurrency Malware, or sometimes we download it ourselves as it hides behind “broken” commercial applications or torrent sites. Once our computer is infected, it then participates in a network of computers that mine cryptocurrencies.
Cryptocurrencies require a lot of computing power, in fact they can use almost 100% of a computer's resources. The reason is that their production method is done by solving complex mathematical puzzles. Hackers also target very popular sites that they infect with Crypto-Jacking code, such as CBS Showtime and the site of the great soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo, which has millions of visitors daily.
Let's look at some of the most well-known digital currencies:
Bitcoin n'tknow, is one of the most well-known digital currencies that officially has no form of coins or banknotes, is not produced by any specific country and is not controlled by any bank or government. All transactions are made exclusively in electronic form using cryptography (Cryptocurrency) to confirm the validity of transactions. It usually requires hardware that is made for Bitcoin mining in order for someone to produce it and it is legal.
Monero is a digital currency that has played a significant role in the evolution of crypto-jacking. It started operating in 2014, however, some of the mining tools it uses (Coinhive, JSECoin) are very easy to place on various websites and infect visitors with illegal mining.
Cryptocurrency Malwares usually do not aim to steal personal information but to utilize all the resources of your system which usually results in a computer crash. The way to deal with them is no different from other Malware so it is a good idea to have an Anti-Virus and Anti-Malware with an updated database installed on our computer.
Below you can see which countries have been hit the most by Cryptocurrency Malware in October 2017.
