EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Cryptojacking campaigns are known for hijacking computers while under the radar, to mine for cryptocurrency. Not only does this compromise resources, it can also potentially create an opportunity for hackers to install other malware. Now, new research shows that this growing issues has topped even ransomware.

“Cryptominers infected roughly ten times more organizations during 2018 than ransomware did,” reports Bleeping Computer, referencing a new report by Check Point Software. What’s worse, according to the research, is that only one in five security professionals were even aware that their systems had been hit.

The reason: Cybercriminals have recognized that massive ransomware attacks garner immediate attention, whereas cryptojacking campaigns allow them to continue in the shadows, uninterrupted. As all this has been going on, more malware families have been integrating cryptomining capabilities.

At the same time, experts have also been seeing a rise in malware as a service, as the Check Point report notes. Promoting their offerings on the dark web, malware distributors provide bots for rent, for example, allowing any amateur to be able to conduct high-scale, global campaigns.

These latest developments on the cybersecurity landscape call for organizations to gain a better sense of what is crossing and accessing their networks. One way is to look for solutions that provide good visibility and monitoring so you can get a sense of what’s ‘normal’ and what’s not.

Perhaps even more importantly, to state the obvious: Don’t be one of the many who aren’t aware there’s an issue. Waiting until the sirens go off to see if you have a problem is not a good preventive strategy.

Get the full story at Bleeping Computer.