Scammers may pose as cryptocurrency (virtual currency) tech support. Individuals in need of tech support may use online search engines to find technical support companies. Criminals pay to have their fraudulent tech support company’s link show higher in search results hoping victims will choose one of the top links in search results. The fraudulent support […]

With the recent publicity around digital currencies such as Bitcoin (BTC), maybe you’ve dabbled in the space and bought some yourself. The securest way to store these currencies is offline, on a USB drive or a “paper wallet,” which is a document containing all the information necessary for generating your BTC private keys and don’t […]

Cryptomining, a process by which hackers hijack your machine to mine for cryptocurrency, is a new revenue source for cybercriminals. By default, Firefox helps protect against this threat. In your Privacy & Security settings, make sure you’re set to Standard or Strict. If you use custom settings, verify that cryptomining protection is enabled.

Any internet-connected device with a CPU is susceptible to cryptojacking. The following are commonly targeted devices: Computer systems and network devices – including those connected to information technology and Industrial Control System networks; Mobile devices – devices are subject to the same vulnerabilities as computers; and Internet of Things devices – internet-enabled devices (e.g., printers, […]

Malicious cyber actors use cryptocurrency-based malware campaigns to install cryptomining software and hijack the processing power of victim devices and systems to earn cryptocurrency. Cryptojacking may result in the following consequences to victim devices, systems, and networks: Degraded system and network performance because bandwidth and central processing unit (CPU) resources are monopolized by cryptomining activity; […]

Some websites monetize themselves by using cryptocurrency miners that hijack a device’s CPU to mine for digital currencies like Bitcoin. These miners can put a lot of strain on your processor and battery. Some browsers now block this tactic by default, while others have compatible extensions that will block such scripts for you.