A Japanese citizen accused of " cryptojacking " was sentenced to one year's imprisonment. He was also suspended from any online activity for a period of three years, in addition to this unusual conviction.
One year in prison for cryptojacking
Cryptojacking refers to the use of malware that infects web users' computers. Mining crypto-currencies is made without the knowledge of the owner of the electronic device.
The sentence of the 24-year-old man was pronounced on Monday, July 2 by the Sendai District Court.Although his identity remained anonymous, he was described as an unemployed resident of the city of Amagasaki.
The crime allegedly involved a cryptojacking malware known as CoinHive pre-installed on an online game cheat software. According to Kahoku's report :
"According to the verdict, he integrated a mining program into an online gambling cheat software, in January and February, without justifiable reasons. He posted it on his blog, downloaded it to another person's computer, and started mining. "
A criminal trend is emerging
This case could be the first in a long series of convictions. 16 other potential cryptojacking suspects have been identified by the Japanese authorities. Bitcoin.com has announced the arrest of 3 individuals suspected of exploiting malware. CoinHive has become popular with users of mining software. It is a way to generate revenue, without ads, that has often been used for the extraction of Monero, without the consent of the owners of electronic device.Lawyer Takashi Hirano highlighted the use of CoinHive without using online cheat software. This is probably the system used by the 24 year old citizen, he said:
"I think there are major differences in the legal configuration between using Coinhive on its website and integrating Coinhive into its cheat tool. "This practice is a growing problem in the cryptocurrency industry. McAfee, a security consulting firm, recently found that incidents like this increased by 629 percent in the first quarter of 2018.
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