Hackers Use Crypto-Jacking to Mine Crypto-Currency, Victim Got Burnt, and Supercomputers Shutting Down!

Alec G., Tech Times 29 May 2020, 11:05 pm

Hackers are using powerful PCs to data-mine information or collecting Bitcoin, and other types of crypto-currency called "crypto-jacking" by remotely using someone else's rig, and a person got burned because of this.

What went down

Abdelrhman Badr was playing with his computer, and in the middle of an intense game, and without warning, his PC had shut down itself without Bardr doing anything to trigger the shutdown. He booted his system once again while fixating on the game, which never had any issues before this.

When Badr was waiting for his PC to load, he checked up on his PC and placed his hand on one of the components of his PC since he likes to leave open in his room for display, and gets burned when he was able to touch the video card.

Badr hasn't realized yet, but the burn he experienced is due to someone hacking his computer and using his rig to do crypto-jacking.

"I was playing around with a program that monitors computer activity, and everything looked normal, but I accidentally left it on overnight," Badr said, and added, "When I next checked I found that my computer had been sending loads of information back to a strange website I've never visited or heard of."

"I was shocked and also a bit embarrassed as I take pride in keeping my PC safe. It's really frustrating to know that there could be a program running without me knowing and some guy secretly mining crypto, destroying my hardware, and stealing my electricity."

Crypto-jacking more common than you think

More than 47 million cryptocurrency users are active around the world, but it's hard to tell since they tend to be very private and for anonymity. From those users, some are very talented hackers and use crypto-jacking as a means for them to collect crypto-currency without breaking a sweat or stress on their units by using others to do it for them.

On an operation for crypto-jacking, they fool victims on installing software or downloading malicious files that force their computers to mine and send it back to the hackers, then spend it on the crypto-market and convert it to real-world money.

Crypto-jacking attacks will increase the electricity bill, cause irreparable damage to your computer hardware to the point that it may no longer be usable if not being able to have a break. This goes without saying that it uses all the power your PC could muster up and continue to do so until your PC would give up on you, granted if you haven't noticed how unbearably slow it would be because of the mining.

There have been several instances of crypto-jacking besides Badr's situation. For this month alone, there have been reports of crypto-jacking on supercomputers. On May 11, Germany had to shut down five of its supercomputers. And just recently was reported on May 18, Another incident of supercomputers that had to be shut down was Archer at the University of Edinburgh.