Cryptomininers killing cryptominers to squeeze more out of your CPU
Credit:
Graham Cluley
If 2017 was the year of ransomware, then this year has surely seen cryptojacking forcefully overtake its close criminal cousin.
If your computer gets hit by ransomware, your data files are encrypted and - unless you have a secure backup - your only way of getting them back is by paying your attacker with an anonymous cryptocurrency, and hoping they’ll respond with the key to unlock them.
Cryptojackers use a different technique. They don’t bother with the hassle of encrypting your files, displaying a scary ransom note, and walking you through the process of buying some Bitcoin or Monero cryptocurrency. Instead, they silently take over your computer’s processes, gobbling up CPU resources to mine for cryptocurrency at your expense.
