Cryptocurrency-mining malware might seem like a low risk, but it rarely arrives without more dangerous baggage.
Cryptocurrency mining malware has been one of the most prolific forms of malicious software distributed by cyber criminals throughout 2018, but given how some view it as relatively benign compared with other more damaging attacks like ransomware and trojans, it’s occasionally overlooked as a threat.
However, cryptojacking malware — which secretly hijacks the processing power of infected machines to mine for cryptocurrency on behalf of the attacker — is still ultimately a form of malware and users can’t afford to be complacent about it.
That’s because cryptocurrency miners give attackers a foothold into PCs which can be exploited to deliver more damaging malware in future, security firm Fortinet has warned in its latest threat landscape report, noting that underestimating cryptojacking places organizations under heightened risk.