How to protect from Cyptojacking ?

What is Cryptojacking ?

Cryptojacking is one of the fastest-growing cybercrime globally and the resulting theft of cryptocurrency is incalculable at this time where your computer or other device (smartphones, IoT devices, and servers have also fallen victim) are infected with malware in the form of mining botnets. They feed off your CPU (central processing unit) to mine cryptocurrency – in many cases, without your knowledge

HOW IT WORKS ?

Mining botnets use your device’s power to mine cryptocurrency, usually Monero. There are already thousands of websites infected with mining malware. If you happen upon one of them, you may notice your computer suddenly running very slowly. In this case, the easiest way out is to simply close your browser.

It downloads the vicious code onto your machine that really causes a problem. This is much easier to do that than you might think. For example, a free movies from a content platform like Torrent may have hidden code inside.

Another option to get infected directly from the site,phishing emails or online advertisements.

HOW TO PROTECT ?

• User Antivirus - An obvious option to protect your system from any malware, however only paid one may help.
• Use Anti-Mining Plugins - Anti miner, Miner blocker etc browser plugins are there. Opera browser has inbuilt feature to protect from cryptojacking attempts.
• Watchout processing speed - You are visiting certain websites and you feel slowness (No, not because of your 3G/4G connectivity issue..haha), close the browser and open it again. You might on infected website . Same with your smartphone. If your battery get drains unusually when you open particular apps your phone could have cryptojacked.
• Disable Java Script - Probably this is not good option as this can decrease your overall website content, however good option to to prevent from in-browser cryptojacking.
• Addblocker - As always to prevent unnecessary ads you have used Ad-blocker but now it is also useful to prevent from cryptojacking as I've said before , adware/ online advertise banner may infected.
• Awareness - Always practice a good cyber hygine by locking your desktop before leave, not sharing password and not to click unknown links. etc. Beware from suspicious email links and attachments.

Cryptojacking isn’t going to cause you too many problems other than a slight headache and a bigger power bill. But it is proved that if mining botnet can breach your system and enter unknowingly, that means your system is vulnerable and the become an open gate for next virus to break in could be a lot worse.