Researchers at Kaspersky Labs have released a report stating that 2018 has been the year of the crypto-miners.
Previous years were noted for ransomware or browser hijackers but this year has seen the biggest rise in mining malware designed to commandeer unsuspecting computers for their processing power. Most malware infects a computer when it is downloaded alongside compromised software and websites such as games, gambling or porn. High profile cases have involved compromised Facebook Messenger code and Chrome extensions, so even the big boys are not immune.
According to the Kaspersky Security Bulletin, published yesterday, the beginning of the year saw a rise in the number of crypto mining related attacks which tailed off as prices fell. As the markets slid further down, losing as much as 85% from all-time high to 2018 low, the prevalence of mining malware fell but the associated threat remained high.
Botnets The New Weapon of Choice
The statistics indicate that botnets are responsible for a lot of the crypto mining malware disseminated this year. These global networks of automated attack bots running on compromised systems have become the weapon of choice for cyber-criminals looking to spread malware and mine crypto. During Q3 this year, use of botnets to carry out DDoS attacks has fallen as the amount of mining malware relayed through them has risen.
“Mining differs favorably for cybercriminals in that, if executed properly, it can be impossible for the owner of an infected machine to detect,
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