Cryptojacking, the newest threat
You may have heard the term before, but might not have known what it was. It is one of the biggest rising cyber threats out there right now. Cryptojacking is an unauthorized use of a computer to mine cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrency is mined, which is the process of creating more cryptocurrency. This requires a computer to dedicate resources, like the CPU, RAM, and video processing. If these are being used to mine, the computer functions more slowly. Most crypto-mining software works in the background, unknown to the user. Cybercriminals can take your devices over phishing-like attacks or by creating malicious links on a website.
How does a small business defend against these attacks? For starters, having a reputable anti-virus and anti-malware software installed is critical. These cybersecurity tools will monitor a computers behavior for crypto-mining software and behaviors. The next step is to have a tool that can measure the use of the computer and send alerts if resources are being utilized in a non-typical way. Lastly, training your employees about phishing and its dangers along with the dangers of clicking links while at a website are just as important as having the tools in place.