It’s no secret that the internet is a scary place, it puts your computer and other valuable information about you at risk. Hackers are getting smarter and more efficient as cryptocurrencies become more mainstream. I think we can all agree that most hackers main incentive is to make money, and the easier the better, right?
As cryptocurrencies gain popularity everyone wants a piece of the pie. Now, you can use your own hard earned money to buy some coins or you can mine them. Simply (or not so simple), you can add transactions to the blockchain by using a CPU. To make a fair amount of money, a lot of hardware is required which is expensive and you need somewhere cool to store this hardware. However, explaining mining isn’t my forte so we will just carry on now.
But why would hackers spend their time going through loopholes trying to access your money when they could simply use a code while you’re watching a youtube video and use 8-% of your CPU power to mine their own coins without you knowing? It may be harmless to you as you wouldn’t take much notice besides the fact that your computer is slowing down. Youtube was recently caught using codes in their ads to do exactly that as several users reported amongst their own investigations after their antivirus alerted them that something was wrong.
(Tweets from users who found out that their CPUs were being used to mine through a code in JavaScript)
The coin that was being mined was the one and only Monero. The software that was used was coinhive, and it completely violates Google’s policies. The countries that are being affected are Japan, France, Taiwan, Italy, and Spain. Hackers are getting so smart! The proper term for these enterprise hackers is actually ‘Cryptojacking.’ This problem was handled within two hours, as the ads were blocked and the individuals responsible were removed from the platform although some speculation remains.
The thing is, that that wasn’t the first time and it will not be the last as cryptojacking becomes more prevelant and an easier path to make some easy money. Always be aware of your computer, make sure you have a great trustworthy antivirus to protect you from silent attacks such as these.
That‘s crazy, thanks for the info, haven‘t heard of it yet!
They really do everything to make money. Is stealing our personal data not enough for them?
Haha it is crazy! I just feel like this may be much much easier for them.
The sneaky bastards. I've been injected with a Coinhive script on my WordPress website. I still have no idea of how it got in there!
I've written about it a couple days ago if you're interested.
That's not good! I can recommend using Wordfence: WordPress Security Plugin
https://www.wordfence.com for your site
Im totally interested!! Will read up, thank you for sharing.
Looks like Youtube is the new victim of #cryptojacking.
Is this the new age of malware, trojans and all things nasty? - http://bit.ly/2DYxnzs
Everything is always evolving and new ways will be found.
Sneaky! And Monero as well, one of the most incognito coins out there.
Nice write up, Paola
Thank you so much Kevin!
oh how weird!!! that's so shady!
Right?! I would never recognize it either.
What! Thats so crazy and insanly engenuis...
You should of came up with it lol
i read about it earlier !;)
Good post
Thank you for reading :)
This “cryptojacking” topic is definitely an issue and it will probably become a bigger one within the next years.
Also people check some of your trashy apps on your smartphones! Some of them come already out of the box with an included cryptominer.
Ever wondered why a specific app is draining your battery although it’s a very simple one which shouldn’t need a lot of hardware power? Maybe it’s just badly programmed but it also might be a sign for an included miner.
Good points you make!! Thank you for the insight!!
Informative
Thank you!
oh dang! That would suck so bad to be hacked. Great info :)
Right?! Thank you for reading <3
Ad blockers not only block ads but many cryptominers hacks if not all. People who aren't using ublock origin are totally missing out. Not having to see ads anywhere on the internet is a game changer.
https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock#installation
I need to get on that! Thank you, as always.