Cryptojacking has become a global epidemic, and in a recent report released by Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd. – an Israeli cybersecurity firm – cryptojacking scripts occupy the top three spots in December 2018’s most wanted malware list. The most wanted malware list is comprised of the most dangerous and evil malware. Since crypto became mainstream in 2017, cryptojacking scripts have dominated the charts. It will come as no surprise that cryptojacking attacks are up 400% in a year, a worrying trend that needs to be curbed.
Coinhive Hits Number One
Coinhive is the number one script on the most wanted malware list, and there is a good reason as to why that’s the case. This script runs in the background of websites and sends hash requests to a computer’s GPU and CPU. The computer will then divert a set amount of processing power to these requests, slowing down a computer. The danger comes from the fact that the script can be set to take up to 100% of the processing power, rendering computers useless and potentially damage a computer’s hardware in the process.
Monero Reigns King
All of the cryptojacking scripts that made it into the top 10 most wanted malware list mine on the Monero blockchain. This is due to the fact that it’s a high-level privacy coin, meaning that any transactions using the cryptocurrency can’t be traced. It makes it the ideal cryptocurrency to be used in hacks and malware such as cryptojacking, as the outfit behind the hack can’t be traced.
Legitimate Uses for Cryptojacking
There are legitimate reasons a site would install cryptojacking scripts, but there are ways to go about it and not offend site visitors. Some websites are in fact using cryptojacking to earn revenue and in turn they are removing all of the ads from their sites. This leads to a cleaner and better user experience for the site’s visitor, but at what cost to their computer? This could be a trend we see develop as the crypto craze continues to evolve.
Protecting Yourself
Cryptojacking attacks can have potentially devastating effects on a computer, so it’s important that you protect yourself at all times. On top of this, if you’re going to mine crypto, it might as well be for your benefit, not some shady hacker. The number one rule in keeping yourself safe is rather simple – keep everything updated. The latest updates will flush out and add resistance against the latest strains of cryptojacking scripts. Here at FullyCrypto, we are kind people, so we put together the ultimate guide to protect yourself from cryptojacking.
Cryptojacking is becoming a real problem, and hackers are getting more creative with their scripts. They are now hidden in genuine looking updates, so be careful out there. Never download something unless you’re positive it’s from a genuine source and consider getting yourself a script blocker plugin.
