It should come as no surprise that as cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, have risen in value, more hackers are finding ways to acquire it. The latest trend in malware is called “cryptojacking.” This type of malware generally runs in the background of a site or app (unbeknownst to the user) and illicitly runs cryptocurrency mining code. In addition, it often uses up most or all of the user’s CPU activity. One security researcher estimates that more than 2,500 sites, browser extensions and apps are already dispensing this type of malware.
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- Opera browser now includes cryptojacking protection [Boing Boing] “Bitcoins are really hot right now, but did you know that they might actually be making your computer hotter? Your CPU suddenly working at 100 percent capacity, the fan is going crazy for seemingly no reason and your battery quickly depleting might all be signs that someone is using your computer to mine for cryptocurrency.”
- Chrome Extension With 100,000 Users Caught Cryptojacking Using Your CPU Power [Fossbytes] “Named Archive Poster, this extension has more than 100,000 users. For the past few weeks, the extension has been deploying an in-browser cryptocurrency miner without showing the users any form of notification or asking for their permission.”
- ‘We live in a new world of sophisticated hacking & cryptojacking’ – McAfee to RT [RT] “‘This will continue to happen until people and the owners of the exchanges understand that the world they are in is far more sophisticated in terms of hacking than they believe,’ he said, predicting ominously that ‘every exchange will at some point in the near future get hacked. And if you have your wallet on those exchanges, you’ll lose your money because they do not have the resources to reimburse you.‘”
- Cryptojacking has gotten out of control [WIRED] “Cryptojacking doesn’t require a download, starts instantly, and works efficiently. Making it even more insidious, hackers can sneak a mining component onto unsuspecting websites and pilfer cryptocurrency off of the legitimate site’s traffic. Illicit cryptojacking software has plagued unsuspecting sites like Politifact and Showtime.”
From the Ohio Web Library:
- The rise of cryptojacking (Aleksandra Sagan The Canadian, P. (2017, November 21). The rise of cryptojacking. Hamilton Spectator, The (ON). )
- Why Cryptojacking Is The Next Big Cybersecurity Threat (Hackett, R. (2017). Why Cryptojacking Is The Next Big Cybersecurity Threat. Fortune.Com, 1. )
- How hackers use unsuspecting companies’ websites to help ‘mine’ for online currency (American, N. (2017, November 20). How hackers use unsuspecting companies’ websites to help ‘mine’ for online currency. American News. )
