Hidden cryptominers' attacks on Armenian users drop

YEREVAN, December 16. /ARKA/. Hidden cryptominers' attacks on Armenian users have decreased, according to a study by Kaspersky Lab. It says only 1.06% of computer users faced such attacks in the third quarter of 2020. In Georgia this figure was 0.89%, in Azerbaijan - 1.31%.

In Armenia, 1.84% of computer users were attacked by hidden cryptominers in the third quarter of 2019, in Georgia - 1.60%, and in Azerbaijan - 1.98%.

Hidden cryptominers attacked 1.35% of computer users in Armenia in April-June 2020, while this figure in Georgia was 1.23%, in Azerbaijan - 1.26%, respectively.

According to the study, in July-September 2020, hidden cryptominers attacked users most of all in Afghanistan - 5.53%, Ethiopia - 3.94% and Tanzania - 3.06%.

Cryptominers working on devices of home users and companies act as invisibly as possible. An active miner leads to a significant slowdown in the system's response to user actions, because the memory, processor and video card of the device are busy with cryptomining. At the same time, with an active miner, the power consumption increases by about five times, and the increased load on the electronics can lead to premature failure of the computer.

In order to protect against cryptominers, experts recommend that users follow a number of basic rules: be careful about messages and attachments from unknown senders, do not rush to open them; back up all important files regularly.

Experts also recommend that users regularly update software on all their devices, using special tools that automatically detect vulnerabilities, and download and install patches.

“If you are in business, install security solutions on all computers and servers to keep your infrastructure safe; regularly conduct an audit of the information security of the corporate network to identify any anomalies; pay attention to less obvious targets of hackers such as queue management systems, POS terminals and even vending machines, since they can also be used by attackers to mine cryptocurrencies,” the study says.

They also recommend using Application Control to track malicious activity in legitimate applications, and Default Deny to protect workstations and prevent employees from launching unwanted programs. -0-

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18:29 12/16/2020