What You Need to Know About Cryptojacking and How to Protect Yourself
Over the last several years, cryptocurrencies have made a splash on the market and attracted millions of American investors. Since their inception, cryptocurrencies have seen exponential growth, but the lucrative nature of cryptocurrencies has inspired some individuals and organizations to exploit computer users using a tactic called cryptojacking.
What is cryptojacking?
Cryptocurrencies are publicly traded and widely popular, so there is a lot of money to be made from cryptomining, which requires the use of a computer. Simply put, cryptojacking describes the unauthorized use of a computer by an individual or group to mine cryptocurrency. Unlike standard computer malware that requires a download to infect your computer, cryptojacking can be done in your browser without any installation. In-browser cryptojacking is typically done through JavaScript, a program that’s used on most websites. After you load a website that uses JavaScript, a third party can infiltrate your computer without you even noticing it.
Because cryptojackers use lines of code in your browser to exploit your computer for cryptomining, most anti-virus systems can’t detect them. A cryptojacker can run under the radar for weeks and you might not detect them at all as long as they are careful. The reality, however, is that cryptojackers often reveal themselves inadvertently by overloading your computer with cryptomining. As your system works hard to catch up with these demands, you might notice that your computer is slowing down or that your battery heats up rapidly.
Protecting yourself
The good news is that there are things that you can do to protect yourself from cryptojacking. Even though in-browser cryptojacking isn’t always detectable by an anti-virus system, it’s still a good idea to have one installed to catch other cryptojacking malware and attacks. Invest in an effective system that offers automatic updates and scanning.
To combat in-browser cryptojacking, you can download browser extensions to Google Chrome or Firefox that can detect cryptojackers in your browser and stop them from gaining control of your computer. You can research various browser extensions on reputable anti-malware.
To determine whether your computer has been infected by a cryptojacker, you should pay attention to your computer’s operation. Watch for a sudden slowdown in your system or excessive operational noises from your fans or hard drive. Noisy operation is often one of the best indicators that a cryptojacker is using your computer for cryptomining.
At IDMI.Net, we understand how harmful cryptojacking can be, and that’s why we take extra steps to ensure that the sites that we host are secured from malware infiltration. We protect our sites with several layers of defense to offer superior protection to our clients. If you have concerns about crytpojacking or you’d like to learn more about our security measures, simply reach out to us.