If your mobile browser seems slower than usual, it could be secretly mining. As cryptocurrencies grow in popularity, hackers are targeting new types of devices, running malicious code on smart headphones, smart refrigerators, and televisionsthat are left on 24/7. The phenomenon is called crypto jacking, and it has affected both consumers and large organizations. Depending on the type of attack, users may notice a slight delay on their devices, usually not enough to think they have been hacked.
Hackers try to use the victims' processing power, as this is what they need to mine cryptocurrencies. When mining virtual currencies, computers perform complex calculations to verify the current ledger.
Crypto jacking is not only possible through malicious software. It can also be done through the browser, as long as the code runs within a page. Several websites have tried to remove ads and replace them with scripts that mine. According to experts, crypto jacking began to be considered a threat in 2017, when the price of all cryptocurrencies rose dramatically, with the price of Bitcoin reaching almost $20,000.
Avast data shows how rapidly the increase was, when in September 2017 crypto jacking threats were 147,704, while in December, 3 months later they reached 22.4 million. In May 2018 the number exceeded 93 million.
Identifying the hacker who may be behind a crypto jacking malware is quite difficult, as primarily the currency used (Monero) is 100% encrypted and secure.
While Apple and Google have already removed apps from their app stores that mine (secretly or not), the risk remains high.
