Is it the perfect cyber crime? Hackers now have computers mining cryptocurrency, over 1 million computers!
By JeroenT96 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Anonymous cryptocurrencies like Zcash can enable hackers to get paid setting botnets on innocent computers. Because cryptocurrencies such as these have to be mined, and because mining can happen without the computer owner even knowing, it allows for the possibility of millions of computers supporting anonymous hackers. At the same time it is also supporting the security of the network so for the cryptocurrency it's a positive but then for legitimacy and public relations it's a nightmare.
In the article, we see more bad publicity for cryptocurrency and in particular how will ordinary computer users even know they aren't miners?
"Downloading mining software to a PC doesn't necessarily have severe consequences for a user's data," Gostev wrote me in an email. "However, it does have the effect of increasing the energy consumption level of their machine, which results in more expensive electricity bills."
A direct cost to the owners of these PCs is a higher electric bill. In essence they are paying for the cryptocurrency stashes of the hackers by electric bill fees. In addition they have to pay the cost of having a slower pc.
According to new statistics released on Tuesday by Kaspersky Lab, a prominent Russian information security firm, 2017 is on track to beat 2016—and every year since 2011—in terms of the sheer number of computers infected with malware that installs mining software. So far in 2017, the company says it has detected 1.65 million infected machines.
I must note that the data is from the very controversial Kaspersky Lab, that being said if it is true then it is likely only the beginning.
References
Pearson, J. (20, September 12). At Least 1.65 Million Computers Are Mining Cryptocurrency for Hackers So Far This Year. Retrieved from https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/vb74j3/at-least-165-million-computers-are-mining-cryptocurrency-for-hackers-so-far-this-year
Pearson, J. (2016, December 12). You Could Be Mining This Cryptocurrency Without Knowing It. Retrieved from https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/aekqvb/you-could-be-mining-this-cryptocurrency-without-knowing-it-zcash-botnet