The cryptocurrency space is often subjected to fraud, malicious activity and crypto jacking, so it’s always refreshing when a hacker’s illicit attempts are thwarted or stopped in their tracks.
Crypto Jacking Is Still Very Popular Amongst Hackers
Crypto jacking is the process of taking over a person’s computer without their knowledge or consent. A hacker gains control of the computer and begins to mine cryptocurrencies. They garner a serious profit from the process while the original owner of the computer gets nothing minus the heavy energy bills that they receive every month. It’s a cowardly and unfair approach to garnering digital funds, but it’s a process that’s been plaguing the industry for some time.
However, not all crypto jacking attempts succeed, and if they do, sometimes it’s on a small scale. Such is the case with a new form of malware known as Clipsa, which was recently discovered by the cybersecurity firm Avast. The organization explains in a new report that Clipsa has been enforced against several computer networks throughout the globe and has been stopped a record 360,000 times.
The organization refers to Clipsa as a “multipurpose password stealer.” Not only does it attain people’s private data and login information, it also exploits computer vulnerabilities to mine cryptocurrencies. It does this by infecting crypto addresses and redirecting deposited funds into wallets controlled by the hacker or hackers.
The primary target of Clipsa users appears to be India. Avast says that approximately 43,000 Clipsa infections have been halted in India over the last year alone. 28,000 of these attempts led authorities to identify the potential culprits. Secondary targets included Brazil and the Philippines, where approximately 13,000 and 15,000 networks were shielded from infection.
It is estimated that Avast managed to assist more than 250,000 individual users, though this is data coming from only one firm. Thus, it’s plausible to assume that infection attempts were much higher than what the firm is initially reporting. The good news is that while Clipsa was most active during the latter half of 2018, alleged attempts to infiltrate digital networks have seemingly gone down significantly.
There Are a Few Moments Here and There Where Clipsa Won
Unfortunately, there are still cases here and there of Clipsa being successful in its attacks on people’s computers. Avast claims that more than 9,000 individual computer systems arrived with Clipsa already installed, though less than 150 of these computers saw funds stolen or diverted to hackers’ accounts.
Clipsa, for the most part, is an example of malware that has been largely unsuccessful. Avast suggests that Clipsa has only managed to attain three bitcoins, which at press time accounts for less than $36,000. Still, the cybersecurity firm is advising everyone to properly scan any items they download prior to running them on their systems.