Cryptojacking
What it is & how to prevent it
This article explores cryptojacking, a cyberattack in which hackers secretly exploit a victim’s device to mine cryptocurrency. You’ll learn how these attacks work, why they’re on the rise, and practical steps you can take to prevent them.
Table of Contents
What is cryptojacking?
Cryptojacking is a type of cyberattack in which hackers infiltrate a user’s device and secretly use computing resources to mine cryptocurrencies. Cryptocurrency mining demands significant computing power, but offers hackers the reward of earning cryptocurrency or traditional currency. While cryptojacking occurs without the knowledge of the victim, it often diminishes the performance of the infected device, causing it to run slowly, crash, or heat up. Cryptojacking continues to rise in popularity with the growth of digital currencies. Cryptojacking schemes often begin with a phishing email.
How to prevent cryptojacking attacks
Cryptography was one of the buzzwords of 2018. In a few months, cryptojacking, or the mining of malicious cryptocurrency, was propelled to the top of the IT threats, even surpassing the ubiquitous ransomware in volume.
No system is truly 100 percent secure, which is why managed service providers (MSPs) need to address the elephant in the office that is responsible for many security breaches—end users. The training and education you provide today could end up saving all parties involved a fortune.
Learn about HORNETSECURITY’S SERVICES
Interested in Related Topics?
Did you like our contribution to cryptojacking? Then other articles in our knowledge base might interest you as well! We help you learn more about cybersecurity related topics such as Emotet, Trojans, IT Security, Cryptolocker Ransomware, Phishing, GoBD, Cyber Kill Chain and Computer Worms.