You’ve probably heard of ransomware and phishing, but are you aware of another threat to your cyber security; cryptojacking?  Cryptojacking is hackers stealing your resources to mine for cryptocurrency without obtaining permission.

The two main ways these attacks are executed on your system are through javascript cryptojacking and native code cryptojacking.  Javascript cryptojacking occurs when a user surfs to a site or page hosting a malicious Javascript miner. This runs in the background of the page causing every visitor to become and unwitting part of the criminal’s mining pool.  Native code cryptojacking occurs when your system becomes infected using traditional malware techniques and cryptomining software is secretly installed.  They then move laterally across your network infecting as many devices as possible.

The three tell-tale signs that your system has been affected by a cryptomining attack are slow network speeds, a spike in CPU consumption and a dramatic increase in your energy usage.  This affects your business through unbudgeted operating expenses as you power your computers to work for someone else, opportunity costs as legitimate business is slowed down, and reputational and regulatory costs from reporting, investigating and explaining the cryptomining activity.

The best way to protect yourself against these attacks is ensuring you have the correct technology in place. Intercept X is equipped with a DARPA designed, deep learning form of AI that is able to identify malicious programs before they even run. It includes the industry’s most powerful malware cleaner, which provides forensic-level remediation by eradicating malicious codes and registry key changes.

Synchronized Security with XG Firewall simplifies and unifies defenses with real-time intelligence sharing between your endpoints and firewall.  XG Firewall provides unprecedented visibility into your network, users and applications, directly from your control center. It automatically isolates any compromised system from the rest of your network to stop the spread of infection until the problem is resolved.