Ah, cryptocurrencies. They began over a decade ago and despite the recent lows have exploded in value from what they started out as. Needless to say, crypto currencies are big business. We’re seeing a rise in crypto-billionaires. There are many cryptocurrencies out there, popular ones to note include Bitcoin, Ethereum, LiteCoin and Dogecoin. Interesting names, I know.
Many hackers have also noticed this and are doing anything to get it; including using your poor computer for cryptocurrency mining. Mining cryptocurrency requires computer power, and a lot of it. Hackers out there have designed crypto-malware which can take over your computer and turn it into a crypto-mining slave to feed their pockets. Crypto-mining on your computer does have some detrimental effects. Here is how to know if your computer has been attacked:
– You may experience a drop in speed and overall performance slows down. When a computer is in use, its inner parts get hot, and hence, the inbuilt fan turns. Mining software may prompt a lot of background activity and thereby radiate more heat. In response, the fan rotates at higher speeds. One should be conscious and always listen to fan speeds for any abnormalities. The temerature of the computer should also be monitored.
– Crypto coins are mined using CPU and GPU power. If crypto mining software has been secretly installed on your computer, there should be a speed decrease in task processes and sudden rise in slow responses. Simply call up your task manager if you are using Windows and check the CPU usage. Be vigilant. If the percentage is higher than usual, then some red flags should be pulled up. 100% CPU usage is a cause for alarm. Your computer may be secretly mining Bitcoin or some other cryptocurrency perhaps even whilst dormant. If any unknown software is using too much power, monitor it closely and consider killing or disabling it.
Hopefully, the above quick diagnostics tips help users keep their computers safe by avoiding mining malware. It should be noted that hackers are increasingly using smarter techniques and are looking for new ways to escape from detection.
