News technology Matthew De Silva September 12, 2017 11:45 PMSeptember 12, 2017 11:45 PM0 ShareFacebookTwitterRedditLinkedInCancel On Tuesday, Kaspersky Lab announced that its products have protected 1.65 million users from malicious cryptocurrency mining software during the first eight months of 2017. This announcement comes on the heels of Best Buys decision to pull Kasperskys anti-virus software from its shelves over concerns of undue influence by the Russian government. On September 12, 2017, Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab published figures claiming that in the first eight months of this year, its products have protected 1.65 million users from concealed cryptocurrency mining software. Social engineering is the primary method of installing malicious miners, said the company. Over the last month alone, we have detected several large botnets designed to profit from concealed crypto mining. We have also observed growing numbers of attempts to install miners on servers owned by organizations. Number of users Kaspersky Lab protected from malicious cryptocurrency miners Concealed miners are programs that are surreptitiously installed on computers. Without the victims knowing, they co-opt and repurpose processing power toward cryptocurrency mining. At an individual level, this may result in marginally higher electricity bills for a consumer it hardly seems like a serious crime, as if a neighbor broke into your garden each day to take a dip in your pool. But, just as your neighbor would be arrested for trespassing, concealed mining is a gross violation of a persons privacy and resources. On a larger scale, misdirected computing power can severely damage an organization or company, bogging down processors while accumulating significant wealth for perpetrators. One botnet found by Kaspersky allegedly raked in upwards of $30,000 per month and thats according to conservative estimates. In July 2017, ETHNews broke the news of a potential botnet at San Francisco State University. Now, it appears that the threat could be much more widespread. Kaspersky found that Zcash and Monero are the cryptocurrencies most frequently sought by concealed miners not terribly surprising, given that both digital assets claim a high degree of anonymity. In its post, Kaspersky explained that malicious mining software may: Try to turn off security software; Track all application launches, and suspend their own activities if a program is started that monitors system activities or running processes; Ensure a copy of the mining software is always present on the hard drive, and restore it if it is deleted. Concealed miners can even be programmed to pause when an unsuspecting consumer runs more processing-intensive programs like video games or editing software. The report by Kaspersky Lab comes at a time when the US Senate is considering a government-wide ban on the companys products. Kaspersky, which has 400 million customers worldwide, adamantly denies aiding or abetting cyber espionage by any government. On Twitter, Kasperskys CEO reaffirmed his companys commitment to the North American market. Despite geopolitical turbulence we remain committed to N.American customers: 3 reg.offices to be opened in 2018 https://t.co/51OURGHnCc pic.twitter.com/I11gtktXjx Eugene Kaspersky (@e_kaspersky) September 12, 2017 Its difficult to determine the validity of attacks launched at the company, but already Best Buy one of the largest electronics retailers in the US has removed Kaspersky products from its shelves. Despite the bevy of negative attention from government and corporate America, Kaspersky and its report should not be discounted. Concealed cryptocurrency miners pose a real threat to companies and institutions across the globe. Cybersecurity defense remains critical for consumers and corporations alike. Matthew De SilvaMatthew is a writer with a passion for emerging technology. Prior to joining ETHNews, he interned for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as well as the OECD. He graduated cum laude from Georgetown University where he studied international economics. In his spare time, Matthew loves playing basketball and listening to podcasts. He currently lives in Los Angeles. Matthew is a full-time staff writer for ETHNews.ETHNews is committed to its Editorial PolicyLike what you read? Follow us on Twitter @ETHNews_ to receive the latest Kaspersky Lab, Best Buy or other Ethereum technology news. Kaspersky Lab Best Buy Kaspersky mining Russia cybersecurity botnets cryptocurrency

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Amazon Web Services has grow to be one of the world’s most necessary foundations in the digital period, permitting companies to entry cutting-edge instruments effectively and at a fraction of the prices. According to a current report by a blockchain incubator, VeChain is doing to public blockchains what AWS did for software. The report singles out VeChain’s ToolChain as its most necessary options, permitting companies to simply combine blockchain know-how.

Bitcoin is the king of cryptocurrencies whereas Ethereum is the world’s most utilized blockchain. However, in terms of enterprise blockchain, VeChain is becoming one of the most necessary gamers. Some of the world’s largest firms are constructing on VeChain, together with Walmart, BMW, Bayer, H&M, LVMH and extra.

In its report, blockchain incubator CREAM attributed VeChain’s success to its potential to establish the crucial wants of companies and fixing them. One of the methods it has achieved this is by ToolChain, its blockchain-as-a-service (BaaS) platform. ToolChain permits companies to combine the VeChain blockchain with little coding.

In its simplest type, ToolChain comes as an ‘off-the-shelf’  low-code/no-code platform, offering versatility and adaptability in a way that may be quickly deployed, in as little as half-hour. Suddenly, companies with out technical experience or in-house builders are capable of take benefit of the quite a few advantages of public blockchain for their very own companies, massively decreasing lead instances, prices and complexity.

ToolChain comes with a quantity of instruments that make it simple to combine the VeChain blockchain. They embrace readily customizable cellular purposes, IoT sensors and chips and entry to VeChain’s distinctive native payment delegation performance.

At a time when regulators have taken a eager curiosity in blockchain, ToolChain operates throughout jurisdictions. This is as a result of ToolChain customers by no means need to cope with digital currencies instantly. Rather, they pay for the service in the identical method they’d pay their web service supplier. VeChain’s payment delegation protocol handles the VTHO burn through the VIP191 contract.

The ToolChain package deal additional appeals to companies as a result of of VeChain’s partnerships with main companies. It has partnered with PwC and DNVGL which offer information high quality assurance to its shoppers. These companies give the on-chain information better belief and financial worth.

For many international companies, customization is key. These companies need the merchandise they use, be it software or {hardware}, to mirror the company’s model. ToolChain presents them this, as CREAM outlined.

ToolChain’s superior model will be utterly custom-made and stripped of its branding. Channel companions, for instance, can redesign and repackage ToolChain, constructing ‘their’ BaaS/SaaS platforms/merchandise, all the whereas, working stated service on VeChainThor.

Companies utilizing ToolChain have already showcased this. Walmart’s Food Safety Traceability System is one such custom-made system.

The report added, “With ToolChain 4.0, its most recent iteration, VeChain has built a solution that neatly complies with business needs whilst cleverly addressing regulatory obstacles, ensuring rapid, pain-free deployment of public blockchain anywhere across the global economy. VeChain is completely unmatched in this capability.”

Hackers have been able to exploit a vulnerability in Telegram’s messaging desktop app enabling it to mine for cryptocurrencies including Monero and Zcash, according to Kaspersky Lab. The Russian security firm announced on its website that they discovered ‘in the wild’ attacks being carried out by a new piece of malware using a zero-day vulnerability in the Telegram desktop app. Research suggests that the vulnerability has been actively exploited since March 2017. According to Kaspersky, the zero-day vulnerability was based on the right-to-left override (RLO) Unicode method. The attackers then used a hidden Unicode character in the name, which reversed the order of the characters of the file. “As a result, users downloaded hidden malware which was then installed on their computers,” said Kaspersky Lab. During the research the security company determined several scenarios of zero-day exploitation. One of which was to deliver mining malware to create different types of digital currencies such as Monero, Zcash, and Fantomcoin. The second exploitation was to serve as a backdoor to remotely gain access to a victim’s computer. While analysing a threat actor’s servers, Kaspersky Lab also discovered archives containing a Telegram local cache that had been stolen from victims. Kaspersky said that it had reported the vulnerability to Telegram ‘and, at the time of publication, the zero-day flaw has not since been observed in messenger’s products.’ Alexey Firsh, malware analyst at Kaspersky Lab, said: “We have found several scenarios of this zero-day exploitation that, besides general malware and spyware, was used to deliver mining software – such infections have become a global trend that we have seen throughout the last year. Furthermore, we believe there were other ways to abuse this zero-day vulnerability.” Over the weekend thousands of websites in the U.K. and worldwide were reportedly infected with malware that used victims computers to mine cryptocurrency. On Sunday, the BBC reported that the U.K.’s data protection website, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) had taken down its website after receiving a warning that it had been infected by malware. Several English councils, the Student Loan Company, and the National Health Service (NHS) were also targeted. The malware was added to website codes through Browsealoud, a plugin that helps the blind and partially sighted to access to the Internet. Texthelp, which operates Browsealoud, took its website down as it worked at resolving the issue. The malicious software, Coinhive, then used users’ computing power to mine Monero. It’s reported that over 5,000 websites were affected as a result.

Reading: 13% Have Used Bitcoin to Buy Stuff Online: Kaspersky Labs Study Osato Avan-Nomayo · @3rdPesinSingula | Feb 13, 2019 | 18:00 Osato Avan-Nomayo · @3rdPesinSingula | Feb 13, 2019 | 18:00Researchers at cybersecurity firm, Kaspersky Labs say one-in-ten people have now used Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to make purchases online. Also, data from Bitcoin directory service platform, Coinmap shows that businesses accepting Bitcoin have surged by more than 700 percent within the last six years.According to a survey by Kaspersky Labs, about 13 percent of people have used cryptocurrency as a payment method. The study collected responses from more than 12,000 consumers in 22 different countries.The results of the survey show that crypto use is still the least popular method with 81 percent of respondents saying they used credit/debit cards for online purchases. However, the implication of having 13 percent of people across multiple countries using Bitcoin is profound from an adoption point of view.Commenting on results, Vitaly Mzokov of Kaspersky Lab said:Despite a fall in cryptocurrency prices, there is still a strong desire for digital transactions amongst consumers. Our consumer research has found that 13% of people have used cryptocurrency as a payment method, which was surprising to see.Cryptocurrency prices fell by more than 80 percent in 2018. However, a fraction of internet shoppers seem to have no problems using virtual currencies. More importantly, online retail outlets aren’t shying away from accepting cryptos.These results also counter the mainstream narrative that cryptos fund no utility in the online retail arena. Critics like JPMorgan would have people believe that merchants aren’t accepting BTC and crypto’s only appeal comes via risky speculative investments.Concerning the pace of BTC acceptance, data from Coinmap shows that businesses that accept Bitcoin across the globe have increased by 702 percent since December 2013.According to Coinmap, there are now 14,346 venues that accept BTC as against 1,789 recorded almost six years ago.Coinshares CEO, Ryan Radloff, showed this massive increase in BTC acceptance over the past five years in a tweet posted on Tuesday (February 12, 2019). With increasing adoption in countries like Ecuador and Venezuela, the BTC acceptance heat map for the north of South America looks a lot different than it did six years ago.1/ 2013 vs. 2018 venues accepting #Bitcoin pic.twitter.com/BjpraiY9qJReports show that these avenues aren’t restricted to online shopping platforms as brick-and-mortar establishments like Montessori schools and high-end restaurants are also adopting crypto payments. In stores across the United States, Europe, and Asia, the sign “Bitcoin accepted here,” is becoming less of a novelty.Have you used Bitcoin to pay for goods and services online? Share your experiences below!Images courtesy of Kaspersky Lab, Coinmap.org, Twitter (@RyanRadloff), Shutterstock For updates and exclusive offers enter your email below. I consent to my submitted data being collected and storedUS retail giant, Kroger, is no longer accepting Visa...Google now enables the Bitcoin symbol on keyboards for...Venezuela continues to reach new heights in terms of...In its slow-but-steady crawl towards mass adoption...Follow Bitcoinist on social media to keep up-to-date with the latest news!We use cookies to give you the best online experience. By agreeing you accept the use of cookies in accordance with our cookie policy.

Wednesday, Apr 04, 2018 | Last Update : 01:10 AM IST Previously undetected malware directed at users of the desktop version of the messaging app Telegram has been discovered by the Russian security firm Kaspersky Lab, Kaspersky said on February 13. The malicious software has been used to target Russian users since March 2017, Kaspersky said in a statement. It was designed to trick users of Telegram’s desktop computer software into enlisting their machines to mine cryptocurrencies like Monero and Zcash. Telegram ranks as the world’s ninth most popular mobile messaging app and expects to hit 200 million users during the first quarter of 2018, according to a recent white paper by the company. Only its desktop computer version was targeted. The malware exploited a feature that allows its messaging software to recognise Arabic and Hebrew language text, which is read right to left. By using a hidden character in the feature that reversed the order of the characters, the attackers could rename a file, triggering the installation of the malware. Examples of the malicious software were only found in Russia, Kaspersky said. Kaspersky Lab said clues found in the code indicate connections to Russian cybercriminals. It said such messaging app vulnerabilities are not unique to Telegram, noting that last month it had found a way for hackers to steal WhatsApp messages. Kaspersky said it had reported the vulnerability to Telegram in October and the issue appears to have been fixed. In a statement posted on an a Telegram technical channel, the company said the attack was a form of social engineering that only worked if a user was tricked into downloading an image file. It was fixed by Telegram in November, the post said. “This is not a real vulnerability on Telegram Desktop, no one can remotely take control of your computer or Telegram unless you open a (malicious) file,” Telegram said. Telegram is preparing the biggest initial coin offering, in a private sale of tokens, which could be traded as an alternative currency, similar to Bitcoin or Ethereum, an investment proposal seen by Reuters showed. The offering could raise up to $2 billion, according to media reports.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Previously undetected malware directed at users of the desktop version of the messaging app Telegram has been discovered by the Russian security firm Kaspersky Lab, Kaspersky said on Tuesday. The Telegram app logo is seen on a smartphone in this picture illustration taken September 15, 2017. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationThe malicious software has been used to target Russian users since March 2017, Kaspersky said in a statement. It was designed to trick users of Telegram’s desktop computer software into enlisting their machines to mine cryptocurrencies like Monero and Zcash. Telegram ranks as the world’s ninth most popular mobile messaging app and expects to hit 200 million users during the first quarter of 2018, according to a recent white paper by the company. Only its desktop computer version was targeted. The malware exploited a feature that allows its messaging software to recognize Arabic and Hebrew language text, which is read right to left. By using a hidden character in the feature that reversed the order of the characters, the attackers could rename a file, triggering the installation of the malware. Examples of the malicious software were only found in Russia, Kaspersky said. Kaspersky Lab said clues found in the code indicate connections to Russian cybercriminals. It said such messaging app vulnerabilities are not unique to Telegram, noting that last month it had found a way for hackers to steal WhatsApp messages. Kaspersky said it had reported the vulnerability to Telegram in October and the issue appears to have been fixed. In a statement posted on an a Telegram technical channel, the company said the attack was a form of social engineering that only worked if a user was tricked into downloading an image file. It was fixed by Telegram in November, the post said. “This is not a real vulnerability on Telegram Desktop, no one can remotely take control of your computer or Telegram unless you open a (malicious) file,” Telegram said. Telegram is preparing the biggest initial coin offering, in a private sale of tokens, which could be traded as an alternative currency, similar to Bitcoin or Ethereum, an investment proposal seen by Reuters showed. The offering could raise up to $2 billion, according to media reports. Reporting by Eric Auchard; Writing by Eric Auchard and Denis Pinchuk; Editing by Larry KingOur Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Phishing attacks have increased by 59 percent in 2017, compared to the figure in 2016, according to a report published by Kaspersky Lab. The ‘Spam and Phishing in 2017‘ report by the Kaspersky Lab also points out that this increase in phishing attacks has happened during a time span when there has been a decrease in the average amount of spam. A Kaspersky press release based on the report says- “Overall, the average amount of spam in 2017 decreased to 56.63 percent, which is 1.68 percent less than in 2016. At the same time, the number of phishing attacks increased – the Kaspersky Lab Anti-Phishing system was triggered 246,231,645 times on the computers of Kaspersky Lab users, which is 59 percent higher than in 2016.” As per the report, the trend followed globally by criminals mostly included the usage of “hot topics”, like FIFA 2018 or Bitcoin, to lure users into opening phishing emails so that criminals can get away with their money or personal information. The spammers monitor global issues and major events and then they try to capture and capitalize on the victims’ attention. These tactics are proving to be highly effective, especially because of the decreased attention and the increased unconditional trust that users today seem to have. Hence they readily follow false instructions and the spammers manage to cheat them easily. The trend was visible when, in 2017, the world was preparing for FIFA 2018 and spammers kept on sending emails with fraudulent messages and including the official FIFA logo, information regarding organizers etc and notifying them of lottery wins or promising them free tickets. The users are easily tempted to open the attachments or click on the links that come with the phishing emails, thereby making things very easy for the spammers. Spammers also saw Bitcoin as a favorite spam and phishing topic in 2017, especially since Bitcoin’s price was drastically rising. The spammers come up either with websites that look like cryptocurrency exchanges or with services (fake) that seem to offer cloud-mining. At the same time, the cyber criminals have also been using Bitcoin as bait in the traditional fraud schemes, like fake lottery winnings for instance. They also offer for purchase, in addition to the targeted address databases advertised through spam, databases with emails for cryptocurrency users, along with tempting promises, of great opportunities. The criminals were also distributing malware using spam emails which seemed to contain instructions for cryptocurrency trading or having utilities for earning Bitcoins. The Kaspersky press release says- “Kaspersky Lab researchers have previously recorded a growth in blockchain-themed tricks in the third quarter of 2017. By the end of the year, an extensive arsenal of spammer tools was noted.” The Kaspersky Lab report also highlights the other important trends and statistics in 2017. The report says that the U.S. was the most popular source of spam (13.21%), followed by Chima (11.25 percent), Vietnam (9.85 percent), India, Germany, Russia, Brazil, France and Italy. Germany was the country that was most targeted by malicious emails; other countries that were most targeted include China, Russia, Japan, UK, Italy, Brazil, Vietnam, France and UAE. Brazil had the largest percentage of users (29.02%) affected by phishing attacks. The Kaspersky press release also includes a statement by Kaspersky Lab spam analyst expert Darya Gudkova, who says- “In 2017 we saw a slight decrease in spam activities, but throughout the year, spammers haven’t missed any reason to steal users’ personal information, keeping their eyes on what’s happening in the world. As sports events such as the upcoming FIFA World Cup and others take place, their activity will only increase. Moreover, in 2018 we expect further development and growth of cryptocurrency-related spam and phishing – with more cryptocurrency diversity besides Bitcoin, which was widely used in the previous year, and with ‘pump and dump’ schemes.” Kevin Jones, Ph.D., is a research associate and a Cyber Security Author with experience in Penetration Testing, Vulnerability Assessments, Monitoring solutions, Surveillance and Offensive technologies etc. Currently, he is a freelance writer on latest security news and other happenings. He has authored numerous articles and exploits which can be found on popular sites like hackercombat.com and others. He holds prestigious certifications like OSWP, OSCP, ITIL. His goals in life are simple - to finish her maiden business venture on Cybersecurity, and then to keep writing books for as long as possibly can and never miss a flight that makes the news. How to improve Smartphone battery life Get all latest content delivered to your email a few times a month. HackerCombat offers diverse services HackerCombat offers opportunities for start-ups, organizes event management and is the ideal platform for advertisers and promoters. Tell me where to send your free security tips and tricks

Jeff Francis January 20, 2018 1:00 pm BitcoinNewsNews teaser In a recent speech, Natalya Kaspersky, the co-founder of Kaspersky Labs, made the claim that Bitcoin was a project by American intelligence agencies.Cruise around the internet long enough, and youll come across a wide range of conspiracy theories. Most of them are pretty outlandish, and the people propagating such claims tend to be of the highly eccentric (to put it mildly) type. Every once in a while, however, a theory is pushed by someone who has a great deal of standing. The latest example of this is Natalya Kaspersky claiming that Bitcoin was created by American intelligence agencies.An Interesting and Unique PerspectiveNatalya Kaspersky is the co-founder of Kaspersky Labs, a highly reputable cybersecurity firm headquartered in Moscow. She is also currently the CEO of the InfoWatch group of companies. She recently gave a presentation called Modern technologies the basis for information and cyber-wars at the ITMO University in St. Petersburg.During her presentation, this little bit of information appeared on a slide:Bitcoin is a project of American intelligence agencies, which was designed to provide quick funding for US, British and Canadian intelligence activities in different countries. [The technology] is privatized, just like the Internet, GPS and TOR. In fact, it is dollar 2.0. Its rate is controlled by the owners of exchanges,I Want to BelieveHer nuggets of wisdom didnt end there though. She also said that Satoshi Nakamoto is not a lone programmer, but he is, in fact, a pseudonym for a group of American cryptographers.Even the smart phone did not escape her unique perspective. She said that such devices could not be considered a personal gadget at all. The reason is that it is a remotely controlled device designed for entertainment, work and at the same time for spying on its owner.These are some pretty amazing accusations, and it is interesting to see a segment of people agreeing with her online. To be honest, such talk makes me think of toil foil hats and worries about world governments using satellites to beam microwave signals into your noggin.Of course, if the US government created Bitcoin, then theyre doing a pretty bad job at handling it. Theyve lost a ton of money by prematurely selling off seized bitcoins from the Silk Road.What do you think about the claims made by Natalya Kaspersky? Do you agree with her or not? Let us know in the comments below.Images courtesy of Shutterstock, Wikimedia Commons, and YouTube/@iwillspreadrealmusic. bitcoinConspiracyKaspersky LabsNatalya KasperskySatoshi Nakamoto Show comments

WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 1.7.6 HomeBusiness News Published time: 2 Nov, 2017 14:43 Get short URL Russian cybersecurity company Kaspersky Lab said it has detected a new malware able to steal cryptocurrencies from users web wallets by replacing their address with that of its creator. Cybercriminals are targeting digital currencies such as bitcoin, ethereum, zcash, dash, monero and others, according to the company. However, the maximum losses were borne by owners of bitcoin-wallets with nearly 23 bitcoins worth over $160,000 stolen. Sums stolen from other digital wallets are ranging from a few dollars to several thousand. Cryptocurrency is not a far-off technology anymore. Lately, we have observed an increase in malware attacks targeting different types of cryptocurrencies and we expect this trend to continue, Sergey Yunakovsky, a malware analyst at Kaspersky Lab, said in a statement. The new virus, named CryptoShuffler, activates itself when a targeted user attempts to transfer money from one wallet to another. The procedure requires the recipients wallet ID, which commonly consists of a long set of symbols and is impossible to memorize, making a user apply a copy-paste option. The process involves copying wallets numbers and pasting them into the destination address line of the software that is used to carry out a transaction. At that stage, CryptoShuffler starts to monitor the devices clipboard, utilized by a victim when making a payment. The virus replaces the wallet with one owned by the creator, which means that a user pastes the wallet ID, not in the address they originally intended to send money to. As a result, a user transfers his or her money directly to cybercriminals, unless the user spots the sudden replacement. WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 1.7.6 medianet_width='600'; medianet_height= '250'; medianet_crid='887188531'; click here to read more Posted by George Taylor, editor in chief

Gives you the power to protect your family – on PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad & Android Protects you when you surf, socialise & shop – on PC & Mac, plus Android devices Safeguards your PC and all the precious things you store on it Protects you when you surf, socialize & shop – on your Mac Protects you when you surf and socialise – on your Android phones & tablets Protects your communications, location, privacy & data – whenever you’re online No longer just the province of geeks, cryptocurrencies are starting to affect the lives of ordinary people much more than many ordinary people are inclined to think. Even if you don’t use cryptocurrencies yourself, you are not immune to some of the problems associated with them. You may not know or care much about bitcoins, but one not-so-fine day, a stranger might force you to start using them. In fact, cryptocurrencies have made monetization for malware creators easier than ever before. Think back five years. Malicious blockers displayed unwanted images on victims’ screens, preventing access to their systems and files, and demanded ransom in the form of a paid SMS message sent to a premium phone number. It was not smooth sailing for the attackers. Even if they were successful, the telecom company scooped up half of the money. Then, the premium phone numbers could be blocked, as could the money collected on corresponding accounts. Finally, perpetrators risked getting busted by the police when cashing out. Cryptocurrencies were a game changer. Today, encrypting ransomware is the bane of users who don’t use good cybersecurity. This type of ransomware encrypts user data and demands a ransom payable in a cryptocurrency, and only after payment is made will the attacker (perhaps) send the decryption key to restore file access. Even those far from the world of cyberthreats have probably heard about WannaCry. Although WannaCry was actually a wiper, it found notoriety as encrypting ransomware For attackers, cryptocurrencies must seem heaven-sent: no need to share the booty with anyone, no one to block their wallet, and, most important, no one to catch them while they’re cashing out. Bitcoin is not really anonymous, but an attacker can use alternative cryptocurrencies such as Monero or ZCash without fear of being tracked. This simplification of the monetization process has led to an unprecedented spread of ransomware. Mining — reaping new cryptocoins by means of lengthy, complex calculations — is no less popular as a form of cybercrime. A Trojan miner, unlike a Trojan cryptor, does not encrypt anything; it simply starts secretly mining cryptocurrencies, using a victim’s computing power and electricity. Truth be told, this scenario is preferable to the previous one, and unprotected users may consider themselves lucky if their computers are merely used for covert mining, with no encrypting of valuable data. Incidentally, over the first eight months of 2017, our products protected 1.65 million users from malicious miners, and we expect this figure to cross the 2 million mark by year’s end. Crafty developers began funding their projects by inserting miners in their software, but Pandora’s box opened wide when mining was implemented directly in the browser. After that, everything became even simpler — now users can be conscripted into a mining scheme just by visiting a website that makes the browser download a script that makes their computer mine money. This innovation is seriously restructuring money-making schemes online. Some websites have even elected to stop displaying banners, relying instead on mining visitors’ computers. Instead of using CAPTCHAs just to filter out bots, it would be more profitable to make use of those bots for mining — who cares if a visitor is a real person or a bot if they mine equally well?. It could even be profitable to let users watch new movies without charging them a fee, and just mine away in the background while the flick is playing. It doesn’t stop there. After hacking a popular resource, there’s no need to bother exploiting vulnerabilities in visitors’ software and infecting them with malware; after all, everything still has to be monetized. It’s far easier, and more profitable, to upload a script to the hacked website that forces visitors’ computers to mine money straight into the hacker’s cryptowallet. Cybercriminals are highly adept at switching to the latest, most lucrative method. So I’m calling it now: Next year is likely to be the year of malicious Web miners — that’s where the smart (and quick) money is for malware makers. 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Cybersecurity firm Kaspersky released a survey revealing that only 10% of global consumers fully understand how cryptocurrencies work.A new survey by -based firm introduced on June 17th revealed that 19% of people globally have purchased .The , titled The Kaspersky Cryptocurrency Report 2019, was carried out in October and November 2018, with a total of 13,434 respondents in 22 countries.According to the report, 81% of global population have never purchased cryptocurrencies, while only 10% of respondents said they fully understand how cryptocurrencies work.Meanwhile, just 14% of those who havent ever used cryptocurrencies would like to do so in the future, the report notes.Key findings of The Kaspersky Cryptocurrency Report 2019. Source: Among major reasons why global crypto investors have stopped using cryptocurrencies, majority of respondents cited its too high , implying that the need of stability before they are prepared to use them.While volatility factor accounted for 31%, other important reasons included loss of money in the bear market, as well as a belief that crypto is not profitable anymore, with both factors equally amounted to 23% among the respondents.With that, 22% of respondents claimed that they stopped using cryptos because they are not backed with real assets. Additionally, and vulnerabilities werent the biggest reasons for global crypto users becoming disillusioned, with the respondents citing those factors accounted for only 19% and 15%, respectively.Reasons why people stopped using cryptos. Source: In a press release accompanying the report, Kaspersky team noted that the adoption of crypto industry by global consumers have been slowing down due to lack a proper understanding of how cryptocurrencies work.Previously, another survey that almost 12% of crypto crypto holders are long-term investorsSee the source

Cryptocurrency, often associated with ‘geeks’ or those looking to raise cash quickly, has turned into a popular payment method. According to a recent report from Kaspersky Lab, one-in-ten people (13%) have now used it to make a purchase. However, cybercriminals are also embracing this trend by targeting cryptocurrency exchanges and modifying old threats to attack investors. This is leaving people at risk of losing their savings stored in this unprotected technology,as hackers develop sophisticated techniques to access funds.There are a growing number of businesses now offering cryptocurrency as a payment method, with retailers and food outlets now accepting it. Prices are falling and major sports teams are even partnering with crypto-exchanges. Yet, as people show interest in using cryptocurrency to both invest and spend their money, their funds are vulnerable to being stolen from cryptocurrency wallets, insecure exchanges and Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs). There have been high profile incidents where sums of up to $530 million worth of digital tokens have been stolen.Threat actors can use a wide range of practices to steal funds from the crypto wallet, as well as cryptocurrency exchanges and ICOs. High profile cases, including when 120,000 bitcoins were stolen from segregated customer wallets on Bitfinex four and a half years ago, and when Coincheck was hacked for $530 million in 2018, demonstrate the insecurity of these exchanges and the ease with which cybercriminals can access live networks and cause extensive, irreparable damage. If all the money in a cryptocurrency exchange is stolen, then it simply closes, and nothing can be returned to investors.ICOs are particularly at risk because the individuals who set them up often do not have any background or experience in cybersecurity. This leaves them unable to protect funds and respond effectively should an incident take place. Ultimately, the cryptocurrency market still isn’t regulated and there are no risk assessment mechanisms in place.Vitaly Mzokov, Head of Verification, Growth Center at Kaspersky Lab said: “Despite a fall in cryptocurrency prices, there is still a strong desire for digital transactions amongst consumers. Our consumer research has found that 13% of people have used cryptocurrency as a payment method, which was surprising to see. However, there are also real dangers associated with online exchanges as they are still in their infancy. There could be devastating financial consequences for consumers if funds are not secure.“With threat actors becoming more sophisticated in their attacks, cryptocurrency exchanges and ICOs are prime targets and offer cybercriminals a straightforward solution to stealing substantial funds due to the lack of cybersecurity measures in place. There is also no substitute for vigilance – if something looks suspicious in any way, do not make an investment.”Crypto-investors who don’t store money on crypto-exchanges for security reasons should remain aware they may face the following difficulties and inconveniences:For consumers who want to continue using cryptocurrency as an investment and payment method, Kaspersky Lab recommends:Kaspersky Lab is actively working towards securing the future of cryptocurrencies and ICOs. The company has run a cybersecurity audit for Merkeleon – an Austrian crypto exchange software provider – to ensure their solution is protected against potential threats.SMEStreet is fast growing platform dedicated to entrepreneurs from small and medium sized businesses (SMEs). Committed to facilitate Knowledge & Networking for Business Growth, SMEStreet offers value added content which shows the actual voice of Indian MSMEs.I am trying to warn users and provide the best games to download links to them so they can get their files without any virus.Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Cryptocurrency, often associated with ‘geeks’ or those looking to raise cash quickly, has turned into a popular payment method. According to a recent report from Kaspersky Lab, one-in-ten people (13%) have now used it to make a purchase. However, cybercriminals are also embracing this trend by targeting cryptocurrency exchanges and modifying old threats to attack investors. This is leaving people at risk of losing their savings stored in this unprotected technology, as hackers develop sophisticated techniques to access funds. There are a growing number of businesses now offering cryptocurrency as a payment method, with retailers and food outlets now accepting it. Prices are falling and major sports teams are even partnering with crypto-exchanges. Yet, as people show interest in using cryptocurrency to both invest and spend their money, their funds are vulnerable to being stolen from cryptocurrency wallets, insecure exchanges and Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs). There have been high profile incidents where sums of up to $530 million worth of digital tokens have been stolen. Threat actors can use a wide range of practices to steal funds from crypto wallets, as well as cryptocurrency exchanges and ICOs. High profile cases, including when 120,000 bitcoins were stolen from segregated customer wallets on Bitfinex four and a half years ago,and when Coincheck was hacked for $530 million in 2018, demonstrate the insecurity of these exchanges and the ease with which cybercriminals can access live networks and cause extensive, irreparable damage.If all the money in a cryptocurrency exchange is stolen, then it simply closes, and nothing can be returned to investors. ICOs are particularly at risk because the individuals who set them up often do not have any background or experience in cybersecurity. This leaves them unable to protect funds and respond effectively should an incident take place. Ultimately, the cryptocurrency market still isn’t regulated and there are no risk assessment mechanisms in place. Vitaly Mzokov, Head of Verification, Growth Center at Kaspersky Lab said: “Despite a fall in cryptocurrency prices, there is still a strong desire for digital transactions amongst consumers. Our consumer research has found that 13% of people have used cryptocurrency as a payment method, which was surprising to see. However, there are also real dangers associated with online exchanges as they are still in their infancy. There could be devastating financial consequences for consumers if funds are not secure. “With threat actors becoming more sophisticated in their attacks, cryptocurrency exchanges and ICOs are prime targets and offer cybercriminals a straightforward solution to stealing substantial funds due to the lack of cybersecurity measures in place. There is also no substitute for vigilance – if something looks suspicious in any way, do not make an investment.” Crypto-investors who don’t store money on crypto-exchanges for security reasons, should remain aware they may face the following difficulties and inconveniences: Exchanges usually incur service fees for withdrawing money Users cannot react to coin prices swiftly if they choose to remove their money Numerous operations with fiat money coming from anonymous sources can raise questions from government regulators For consumers who want to continue using cryptocurrency as an investment and payment method, Kaspersky Lab recommends: Always verifying a web wallet’s address and not following links to an online bank or web wallet Double-checking recipient addresses, the amount being sent, and the size of the associated fee before sending a transaction Writing down a mnemonic phrase that allows you to recover a crypto wallet if you lose it or forget your password Installing high-quality security solution, such as Kaspersky Internet Security, to safeguard the devices you use to access crypto wallets and trade on crypto-exchanges. Kaspersky Lab is actively working towards securing the future of cryptocurrencies and ICOs. The company has run a cybersecurity audit for Merkeleon – an Austrian crypto exchange software provider – to ensure their solution is protected against potential threats. >> To find out more about how consumers feel about their digital payments, visit: https://www.Kaspersky.com/blog/money-report-2018/ Mots-ClésAttack crypto wallets Cryptocurrency cybercriminals Cybersecurity ICOs Kaspersky Kaspersky Lab Payment Threats (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

According to a report by software security company, Kaspersky Lab “Bitcoin” and “FIFA 2018” were the top spam and phishing topics used to scam online users in 2017. The company’s “Spam and phishing in 2017” report revealed that cybercriminals have, over the past 12 months, been following the global agenda and used hot topics to steal money or personal information from people online. “Spammers have shown themselves to be thoughtful actors, instantly monitoring global issues and major events around the globe with one main purpose – to capture and capitalise on their victim’s attention,” Kaspersky Lab said. According to Kaspersky Lab’s discoveries, criminals have been using tricks such as websites disguised as cryptocurrency exchanges, fake services offering cloud mining, i.e. the use of specialised data centers for rent. But in all cases users became the victims – losing money instead of earning any. In more traditional fraud schemes, such as fake lottery winnings, criminals have also started to use Bitcoin as bait, and in addition to targeted address databases advertised through spam, databases with emails for cryptocurrency users have been also offered for purchase, promising great opportunities. “In all cases users became the victims – losing money instead of earning any. In more traditional fraud schemes, such as fake lottery winnings, criminals have also started to use Bitcoin as bait, and in addition to targeted address databases advertised through spam, databases with emails for cryptocurrency users have been also offered for purchase, promising great opportunities,” the company said. There was good news however, as Kaspersky Lab reported that the average amount of spam in 2017 decreased to 56.63%, which is 1.68 percentage points less than in 2016. Other important trends and statistics in 2017, highlighted by Kaspersky Lab researchers, include the following: The most popular source of spam was the USA (13.21%), followed by China (11.25%) and Vietnam (9.85%). Others in the top 10 include India, Germany, Russia, Brazil, France, and Italy. The country most targeted by malicious mailshots was Germany (16.25%), showing a slight increase of 2.12 percentage points compared to 2016. Others in the top 10 include China, Russia, Japan, UK, Italy, Brazil, Vietnam, France, and UAE. The largest percentage of users affected by phishing was in Brazil (29.02%). Overall, 15.9% unique users of Kaspersky Lab products worldwide were attacked by phishing. Warning of Chrome Extensions that are Malware infested Scammers leveraging Google SEO to drive a hacked Windows Movie… Cyber Criminals Increasingly targeting Art Galleries September 2017 data breaches and cyber attacks; 174 million records…

Fraud-minded spammers continue to globally exploit the zeitgeist of current events that make opening unsolicited email irresistible, accounting for the 59 percent increase in phishing attacks last year compared to the previous 12 months, summed up Kaspersky Lab in its “Spam and Phishing 2017” analysis. Spammers took advantage of the bitcoin surge at the end of the year by fooling unsuspecting recipients with get-rich-quick offers to steal their money or personal information. “We expected this growth,” comments Nadezhda Demidova, lead web-content analyst at Kaspersky Lab. “At some point the attacks became more targeted and the cybercriminals focused on this … even fairly simple examples of phishing can be tailored to the victim on the fly.” The report was based on attacks detected in 2017 by the Kaspersky Lab Anti-Phishing system, triggered last year 246,231,645 times on users' computers, which is 59 percent higher than in 2016, when phishing attacks were increased only by 4.5 percent. Spam accounted for 56.63 percent of email traffic, dropping 1.68 percent compared with 2016. (Kaspersky didn't indicate what percent of spam had malicious intent, containing malware, etc.) • More spam emanated from the U.S. (13.21 percent) than any other country, followed by China (11.25 percent) and Vietnam (9.85 percent). • Others in the top 10 include India, Germany, Russia, Brazil, France and Italy. • Germany was targeted more than any other country (16.25 percent). Others in the top 10 include China, Russia, Japan, U.K., Italy, Brazil, Vietnam, France and UAE. • Brazil suffered the most from phishing attacks (29.02 percent) • Overall, 15.9 percent unique users of Kaspersky Lab products worldwide were attacked by phishing Closely watched events such as the FIFA World Cup 2018 inspired phishing attacks casting a wide net on soccer fans. The report cites spammers that actively spread  fraudulent emails with official logos of the event, including organizers and sponsor brand information, and notify future victims about lottery wins and free tickets. This year Kaspersky anticipates other cryptocurrency “pump and dump” schemes to follow the 2017 Bitcoin fad. “Everything will depend on the prices of crypto-currencies and the level of excitement around them,” Demidova says. “Given the level of interest around the crypto currency, not only technically savvy people are interested in this topic.” Kaspersky is seeing spam letters under the guise of utilities for earning Bitcoins as bait, instructions for cryptocurrency trading, and offers for cryptolockers that result in Bitcoin ransom demands. Monitoring rent proposals for unused computing power to cloud mining specialized data centers, Kaspersky found “in all cases, users became victims, losing money instead of earning any profit.” Techscape is SC Media’s content marketing platform. Industry experts share their views in the following categories Partner Content is sponsored content brought to you by a vendor SC Media arms cybersecurity professionals with the in-depth, unbiased business and technical information they need to tackle the countless security challenges they face and establish risk management and compliance postures that underpin overall business strategies. Copyright © 2018 Haymarket Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in any form without prior authorization. Your use of this website constitutes acceptance of Haymarket Media's Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.