Company hardware and criptojacking
One of the biggest threats to company hardware is criptojcaking: the fraudulent accessing of the processing capacity of devices in order to produce criptocurrencies through mining. The main objective of hackers who exploit this tactic is to make money via the use of the processors inside other users’ devices. The situation became much worse in the last few months of 2018, with an increase in the number of viruses that allow hackers to take control of devices and use the CPU to produce digital currencies.
At first, this form of malware mainly affected internet websites. Hackers began by installing a special virus inside the various portals which, in turn, used the calculation capacity of the devices to generate digital currencies. With this technique, which soon became obsolete due to improvements in antivirus programs, numerous IT pirates around the world earned millions of dollars in a matter of months.
Hackers then started to attack company IT systems, guaranteeing larger processing capacity and therefore increased profits. Criptojacking is putting many businesses at risk, due to the fact that the resulting reduction in processing capacity has repercussions on staff productivity, the company’s reputation and customer satisfaction.
How to defend yourself from criptojacking
Companies can defend themselves from criptojacking attacks by adopting four main technical strategies. The simplest involves making sure that the operating system used on all company hardware, including laptops or smartphones issued to staff is updated regularly.
Software houses specialising in security develop specific patches as soon as they discover a new threat, in order to protect IT systems. It is not possible however, using the security patches alone, to protect a system from zero-day attacks, or risks which have not yet been recognised by antivirus software.
The second technique involves the use of virtual patches with an IPS (Intrusion Prevention System). These systems are used by IT security experts for the protection of more vulnerable devices within a particular company. Thanks to IPS technology, all company servers can be protected, thereby nipping any attempts at mining digital currencies in the bud.
It is also fundamental to protect against zero-day attacks. Criptojacking is so dangerous because it means that antivirus software is forced to tackle a type of malware which is still not properly understood. The prevention of zero-day attacks is therefore essential and can be implemented through the purchase of specialised software.
The final method regards the protection of cloud servers. By infecting them, hackers can access a large amount of processing capacity. To attack the server, it is however necessary to possess the credentials required to enter the cloud. IT pirates focus on accessing user names and passwords.
Once they are in possession of this information, it is child’s play to reach the servers and infect them with malware.
The best way to defend against these attacks is to consult an IT security expert, a professional who is able to guide you and advise which is the most suitable software to buy.
It is, nevertheless, essential to take the utmost care with incoming emails. In order to access the credentials required to enter company clouds, hackers often use phishing, whereby they send out bogus emails which, as regards the graphics and tone, closely resemble a real message from a trusted supplier or business partner. To avoid problems, it is best to examine the sender’s email address carefully and check for any spelling mistakes or irregularities in the domain name and always avoid downloading attachments.
Translated by Joanne Beckwith
