A new report by Check Point shows that cryptominers, i.e. malware that hijacks the processing power of infected systems in order to mine cryptocurrency, remained the dominant malware threat in February.
As was true throughout 2018, the number one threat was Coinhive, a cryptomining software developed for legitimate purposes but frequently used for nefarious purposes by criminals. However, since the Coinhive platform was discontinued last week, this is bound to change with next month’s report. Unfortunately, the shutdown is unlikely to have a lasting positive effect, since the researchers expect criminals to switch to other similar solutions like Cryptoloot and Authedmine that are already among the top 10 malware threats.
Read more: Cryptominers Remain Top Threat but Coinhive’s Exit Could Change That
