Linux users under the growing threat of cryptojacking

Cryptocurrency mining on a stranger's computer is becoming more and more within the reach of cybercriminals, especially when the victim is using the Linux operating system.

Cryptojacking is at its height

Following an in-depth investigation by a cyber security firm earlier this year, 98.8% of malware variants (Linux / Downloader) were discovered on Linux.

The report is based on threat detection data collected from a network of 40,000 active devices. These are deployed throughout the world.

Linux / Downloader is a generic signature of a series of Linux shell scriptsmalicious. It forces Linux devices to download and run large-scale cryptocurrency mining software. Therefore, the processing power of computers, tablets or smartphones is started without the owners being aware.

Also, an indicator of cryptojacking increase has been highlighted by the latest internet security report from WatchGuard Technologies. And the ciphers are constantly growing.

The threat of malicious cryptocurrency miners is steadily increasing, possibly becoming a major form of attack in the near future. WatchGuard Technologies estimates it should be in the top 10 cyber threats by December. Corey Nachreiner, Technical Director at WatchGuard Technologies commented:

"In addition to these two hidden signatures of cryptocurrency miners in our first quarter data, we have more recent information suggesting that cryptocurrency miners continue their operations in the second quarter. Our daily data shows that various "virtual money miners" continually appear on our top 25 list. Although it is too early to say whether they will rank in the top 10, we expect them to continue to grow in the coming quarters. "

Ed Williams, EMEA Director, SpiderLabs at Trustwave told SC Media UK:

"Crypto-money miners seem to be covering their bets, that does not surprise me. The quest for "power" is at its peak right now and Linux servers are up to the expectations of cybercriminals. Windows-based servers are not uncommon, focusing on Linux-based servers in the cloud has a number of potential benefits. The Linux scale associated with often poor monitoring makes the company a perfect target [...]. Mitigating this phenomenon is essential, and this can be done through better monitoring of the protection system, which can be exploited across the cloud. "

To protect yourself

Cryptojacking has been cited repeatedly as one of the main concerns in the digital currency community and in the cyber security sector.

There have been widespread cases like the recent Drupalgeddon 2. This is an attack on websites using the Drupal content management system. Cryptojacking has also increased by 8,500% in 2017.

As a result, prevention measures are needed for both the Linux operating system and the growing cryptocurrency community in general.

What do you think of the growing threats of cryptojacking? Which security measure would be most appropriate? Tell us your opinion in the comments section below.