By Authorities in France report that they have shut down a cryptocurrency mining botnet (Crypto-Jacking Virus) that had infected more than 850,000 computers across 100 countries.
According to a BBC report on 28th Aug. 2019, the C3N digital crime-fighting centre was alerted to the potential fact that a server-based in Paris had been distributing a virus called ‘Retadup’.
It’s believed that the virus managed to infect hundreds of thousands of Windows-based computers across the globe, with Central and South America reportedly taking the brunt of the infection.
According to the report, hackers sent the virus via email to control computers without raising the attention of the owners then it starts creating ‘Monero’ cryptocurrency. It is also reported that the hackers extorted money by asking for “ransomware” as well as stealing data from hospitals in Israel.
The report further says the operators are likely to have made millions of euros since the virus inception in 2016. Unfortunately, the operators are still on the run.
Jean-Dominique Nollet, C3N chief said:
“We managed to track down where the command server was, the control tower for the “botnet” network of infected computers.”
The French police team was able to recreate a similar server that was used to deactivate the virus on all the computers affected.
Private firm Avast first detected the virus which was typically spread by email. The email is said to have promised the recipients money or offer erotic images. In other cases, infected USB drives could also spread the virus.
Crypto-jacking on the rise
The recent bust by French cyber-cops highlights a growing cyber-jacking problem globally. In fact, criminals made an astounding 52.7 million cryptojacking hits during the first six months of the year, according to the latest research from SonicWall. Crypto-jacking activity rose by 9% between January and June 2019 when compared to levels seen in the last six months of 2018.
Crypto enthusiasts have already seen multiple examples of Libra cons. The latest case prompted Facebook to take action, after numerous accounts, pages and groups claimed to sell fake Libra tokens on its platform and Instagram.
Russian hacker jailed in the UK
In other news, similar to Monero crypto-jacking, a Russian cyber-criminal who blackmailed computer users worldwide, was recently jailed for six years. The UK detectives labelled this case as one of the most sophisticated cybercrime groups they have ever probed.
An inquiry by the National Crime Agency (NCA), the UK’s agency that curbs organized crime, found that Zain Qaiser was a member of an international, Russian-speaking cybercrime group. This group was suspected of having made huge profits from victims in more than 20 countries.
The NCA worked with its partners in the US, Canada and Europe in this long-running and multifaceted cyber-crime investigation.
Comments