The act of any hacker taking advantage of your system resources using malicious software, and effectively posing a threat to you, can basically be called cryptojacking. Meanwhile, cryptocurrency is what is mined from a computer secretly and without authorization, by means of cryptojacking.
While working on computers, you may have undetected software getting installed in there without your knowledge, much the same way that malware typically gets in. This software starts to run in the background with you none the wiser, and this is how cryptojacking happened originally. Algorithms get completed in the background, and in many cases, the hacker does not even need to install software to make this happen. The worst part is that you could potentially be victimized from merely visiting an unsafe website.
The Workings of Cryptojacking
When any malicious software is installed on the computer, illegal access to the system is made possible, just like with any other malware attack. More precisely, software labeled under cryptojacking would utilize the processing power of the computer without the owner’s assent, and start solving algorithms. This lets the hacker “earn” units of some type of cryptocurrency, which then get deposited into his or her wallet.
Unlike other malware, cryptojacking running in the background would not affect the entire operation of the computer, or at least, it stays unnoticed by the user. Software grouped under the cryptojacking category are designed in such a way that they carry out their work in a stealthy and discrete manner, in order to avoid detection. This even proves to be a relative plus in some instances in that, as a user, if you cannot resolve the hacking issue, you can still keep using your PC for the most basic stuff.
What is In-Browser Cryptojacking?
In-browser cryptojacking can be one of the deadlier types of intrusion, given that no form of installation or downloading is required to let it enter. The codes run automatically, utilizing the resources of a computer which has just finished visiting a spurious website. The popularity of JavaScript is something that cryptohackers take advantage of a lot – scripts allow cryptojacking to start functioning in the background after you load the website.
Advertisements can pop out in small browser windows which a lot of users simply ignore out of habit, but that is unwise. Even so, the processing power that these scripts steal, form a smaller percentage of what the CPU can give. While viewing a page, these programs can finish off pending algorithms with quite an ease. Cryptojacking turns up in direct mode at times, and sometimes the user gets asked for consent.
How to Steer Clear of Cryptojacking?
Playing it safe does not guarantee full safety from cryptojacking, just the same way it does not always keep you safe from viruses and malware. “Keeping distance” is not only largely ineffective these days, but also strenuous over the long term. Your best way forward is opting for a good antivirus program capable of detecting such attacks and intrusions in real-time.
If while loading a webpage you see your PC consuming more power than normal, or if it is working too slow, take note of it. This generally only happens if a website fails to limit the resources which it draws from your PC. If it tries to get as much of the machine working as possible, then you would definitely see either or both of the signs mentioned above.
Cryptojacking blockers carry a great deal of utility when trying to tackle the running of unknown browser scripts in the background. They work as browser extensions to keep websites from using your PC for mining cryptocurrency.
