Cryptojacking is an online hacking threat used for mining digital currencies, such as cryptocurrencies, on unauthorized devices. Unlike other malicious threats these attacks are hidden, and victims can hardly notice that their computers or devices are infected. Since mining requires tons of processing power and specialized hardware, hackers will simply inject their script in as many devices as possible.
With the rise in cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology, cryptojacking is growing in popularity among hackers and currently impacting both individuals and organizations today. To get a better understanding of this online threat, we’ve outlined some primary entry points for hackers, as well as provided several security tips for detecting and preventing this from happening.
One of the main entry points for hackers is email, where phishing tactics are used to trick people into clicking malicious links. These emails are disguised as other people or organizations and will prompt the victim to click on a link to take action. Once that link is clicked, a mining code will download a script run in the background of the victim’s device without them knowing.
Another method of entry is web browser mining, where hackers inject script into a display ad or webpage on various websites. Victims will visit those infected web pages or ads and the script will automatically execute onto their computer. The code then uses processor-intensive mathematical equations to connect to a server and store the mining code.
Similar to other malware infections, here are a few signs to look out for when detecting this infection. The symptoms include:
In order to prevent being a victim of cryptojacking, here are a few measures your business could take to prevent it:
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