There are an estimated 47 million users of cryptocurrency worldwide. But it is difficult to say for sure because they remain anonymous. Consumers use the complex process of 'mining' to collect these virtual coins or cryptocurrencies. As a result, their computer suffers from complex math exercises.
In the process of crypto-jacking, hackers download a virus file from their victims, forcing them to mine cryptocurrency from their computer. Hackers can receive this money and spend it in the markets of cryptocurrency or convert it into ordinary currency.
Victims of cryptocurrency attacks also have higher electricity bills. This not only slows down the performance of the infected computer but also causes irreparable damage to the hardware. Last month, at least a dozen supercomputers across Europe were shut down after hackers attacked them with crypto-jacking.
Alex Hinchleff, Threat Intelligence Analyst at cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks, said that "Crypto-jacking attacks are becoming more sophisticated than ever. It uses special methods to hide its behavior”.
Cybercriminals try to find as many victims' computers as possible. The more computers there are, such as PCs, servers, cloud services, mobile or other smart devices, the more mining can be done in secret and without attention. Experts say that the risk of cryptocurrency fluctuates as the value of cryptocurrency falls or rises. According to a study by Palo Alto Networks, the number of such attacks has increased in the past.
"It's not as lucrative for hackers as it used to be," said Ryan Clamber of ProofPoint, a digital security company. That's why crypto miners are appearing in weird places on the internet to maximize the number of victims. For example, sometimes we see it hidden in the code of free programs.
Symptoms of cryptocurrency include overheating, overcrowding, and slowing down the computer. Another way to detect crypto jacking is to look at the CPU usage from the Windows Main Task Manager and from the Activity Monitor in Mac. Try to make sure your system is not being overused to the best of your knowledge. Then when you see the CPU being used a lot in Task Manager, you know that you are a victim of crypto jacking. Remember that 20 – 25% CPU usage is a matter of routine.
Many websites now also hide cryptocurrency scripts in their source code, so when you visit such websites, the browser will continue to use your system resources for crypto mining and you will face a problem with slow browsing. Hackers nowadays also infect Internet routers with mining scripts. Most people don't pay attention to the router for months. Detecting corrupt jacking in a router is a complicated process, but we can keep it safe by updating the router's firmware to the latest version.
Hackers benefit from cryptojacking, but it can be devastating for devices. Hacked devices have to work twice as hard. Their processors are also involved in the process of crypto-mining and follow the instructions given by the user. As a result, the battery life of these devices becomes shorter. In some cases, the device's processors also burn out due to overload.
Security experts say computer users should be vigilant and keep an eye on changes to their computers. Such as a slowdown in performance or a change in settings. In this regard, it would be a good idea to have security software in the computer. The computer should be scanned regularly to diagnose the virus.
Some hackers hide their script in various genuine software updates. If you block a cryptocurrency mining code while visiting a website, you are thwarting the crypto-jacking attack. First and foremost, keep your antivirus up to date. Everest and Norton keep their virus libraries updated with the definition of cryptocurrency. Cryptojacking can also be blocked by using the cryptocurrency mining blocker extension in web browsers.
