Crypto-Mining Malware a Dangerous Threat in 2018

Kaspersky Labs has just released its security bulletin about botnets being employed more and more for spreading crypto mining malware. During earlier years, browser hijackers or ransomware were especially prominent; however, in 2018, mining malware have increased the maximum, crafted for compromising innocent users' PCs to misuse the devices' processing power. The majority of malicious programs contaminate a PC once it's taken down simultaneously with hijacked computer programs and websites, notably those of porn, gambling and games. Advanced attacks have been through hijacking Chrome extensions and code of Facebook Messenger, indicating high-profile platforms aren't invulnerable too.

This year reportedly saw crypto mining malware pretty often, making it a dangerous threat in the period, observes Kaspersky Labs. The attacks reached their zenith during March after which they somewhat came down because of sinking digital asset prices. However, mining malware attacks are still prevalent, with surreptitious mining continuing.

Existing botnets are more in use for crypto mining attacks, just as contaminated PC-networks. The botnets rather than being used for spewing spam are now used for mining digital coins through CPU-compatible means. But, the CPU resources of different PCs let mining merely a few digital coins. Most commonly, the Monero (XMR) digital currency is chosen, although Electroneum (ETN) and Bytecoin (BCN) along with many other little known digital currencies are as well plausible for choice. Cryptovest.com posted this, November 30, 2018.

Kaspersky in addition examined the reasons as to why crypto mining malware is prevalent within certain regions than others, and perceived that regions which have relatively less effective legislation for illegally distributed or pirated software possibly suffer more from crypto-jacking.

Kaspersky's research further suggests a rise in sophistication of mining malware along with perpetrators of the same by utilizing treachery for disguise, implementing methods that don't involve data files, and extracting merely a small amount of resources from the contaminated PCs, all of which minimize detection. And, evolving from the main threats of 2017 viz., crypto address detecting malware from notepads that alter the addresses of destination wallets when the attackers re-paste them, today we have unlicensed software much more freely distributed that gives space to more mining.

» SPAMfighter News - 12/4/2018