Cryptocurrencies and cybercrime: dirty money

Hackers try to get our money down in a variety of ways, but of the many sophisticated techniques they use, the blackmail virus attack is the most common today. It has not been seven weeks since we could not read about this kind of serious action against large-scale companies (Dessault, Kia Motors, Royal Dutch Schell, Toyota, Fujifilm, etc.) that spend a fortune on their safety. Cybercrime has come into vogue for a simple reason: it is very lucrative and the risk of falling short is relatively low. There are many estimates of the damage caused by hackers, some charge $ 1 trillion (or $ 1 trillion), but everyone agrees that we should not expect improvement, the loss caused by criminals will increase rapidly in the coming time. The types of attacks range from extortionist viruses to the sale of stolen data on the Dark Web to the hacking of hacked computers. Cybercriminals break pepper under our noses in many ways, but their actions have one thing in common: they try to make a profit in cryptocurrency.

Diverse techniques

Let’s look at some typical techniques used by cybercriminals to take money out of their victims. Today, extortion viruses are the most popular, threatening individual users as well as institutions, and can cause huge alarm and chaos by locking personal data, documents, and key corporate files. Criminals act aggressively, give short deadlines to pay ransom, and threaten to sacrifice their victims if they do not pay, meaning they also use psychological tools to break the resistance. The blackmail virus is a quick and lucrative method, and ransoms can range from a few thousand to many millions of dollars. However, the extortion virus is loud and spectacular: when someone is attacked, they suddenly get news of it, as the dreaded message immediately appears on the computer screen. This technique is not about hiding, but about brutal attack. However, hackers are happy to work in other ways as well. If they manage to sneak into a network unnoticed and linger there for a long time, by tapping into network communication and obtaining sensitive data, they can get information that can be of great interest in the black market. They can sell access on the Dark Web to other hackers and use their credit card information to make money directly.
This method is more insidious than a blackmail virus attack, but the risk of being trapped it also exists here, and it could easily be that the stolen information is not needed by the dog either, i.e., a number of risk factors affect profits. But there is also a technique in the bag of criminals that can provide them with a lasting income.

Who doesn’t appreciate the bit…

If a cyber criminal has broken through the defense wall of our computer and entered the system, only his imagination will limit his possibilities. An attacker would most often install a back door or give him or her the ability to control the machine over a longer period of time. This type of persistent presence typically takes the form of a small, seemingly harmless stub, which is hidden by the hacker among the auto-launching codes. Of course, presence alone does not yet generate money. However, if you manage to install a small routine on your machine that uses the target’s resources to mine cryptocurrency, it can be very lucrative for the hacker.
This method is for the victim. transforms your computer into a kind of slave that solves mathematical operations to obtain Bitcoin, Ethereum, Monero, or other cryptocurrencies. This is the real gold mine for the criminal, as he uses the victim’s CPU, RAM and hardware, plus he doesn’t pay the electricity bill either. The technique is similar to its constant presence, the code tries to stay hidden here too, but it suddenly works when the computer is turned on. Of the solutions listed above, in the short term, slow cryptocurrency mining will bring the least money to the kitchen. But if the attack goes unnoticed – and this is usually the case – it can become very rewarding in the long run, especially if the cybercrimon can take over not one but many machines at once. This technique is the most dormant, the least intrusive: in contrast to a blackmail virus attack, where the victim immediately learns that he is on a hook (and has to pay urgently if he wants to get rid of it), in cryptocurrency mining, the target has no idea that his desk computer generates money for someone else.

Seven-stamped secret

Cryptocurrency offers a perfect escape route for hackers because it provides anonymity for transactions. In the case of cryptocurrencies, no third party, bank or authority can intervene in the transaction, there are no handling fees, transaction fees, restrictions, no need to pay to maintain the account, no one can have a say – the hacker does what he wants with his money. Through the revenue collected in cryptocurrencies, cybercriminals can enjoy virtually complete anonymity, as financial transactions are not associated with any customary identity (name, email address, etc.). Cryptocurrencies are in fact nothing more than digital data, and a wallet address is a long set of characters that has no direct meaning whatsoever. Finally, the main attraction of cryptocurrency for cybercriminals is that it can no longer be recovered after it is sent. It’s like cash: once it’s out of hand, we have no control over its future, so after a blackmail virus attack, the hacker can disappear without a trace.

From wallet to wallet

In the case of cryptocurrencies, however, transactions are stored in a public ledger and the blockchain makes the movement of money traceable. The question arises: if the transaction is public, how can criminals remain hidden? The explanation lies in the fact that wallet addresses and transfers do not contain personally identifiable information. In addition, hackers pass cryptocurrency through a large number of wallets and use digital devices to clean it. They can even use an automatic service for this purpose, such as tornado.cash, which can be used to clean the Ethereum. The more wallets the amount travels through, the harder it is to reconnect to the original person. Taken together, all of these reasons make Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies so popular with hackers. Although they exist in the virtual world, they have real value and represent a specific amount that can be expressed in dollars, euros. The authorities do not see it, the market operates freely and, as its relationship with criminals is unprovable, it offers a uniquely good solution to unfair transactions.

Raven to raven

Many cybercriminals on the Dark Web offer virus and hacking tools, but payment is only possible in cryptocurrency. In most cases, QR helps to make the payment quickly. If for some reason the customer is unable to scan the QR code, they must copy a long address into the displayed payment application. In the virus market and hacker forums, this is normal business. And since cryptocurrency, as described earlier, is strongly tied to cybercrime, it would also be surprising if there had been no fraudulent solutions to clear cryptocurrency transactions. Copying and copying the wallet address provides an attack surface that hackers do not fail to take advantage of. A wallet address with letters and numbers of the specified length follows a recognizable pattern, and cybercriminals can intrude into the system by observing the Clipboard to detect that the victim wants to send someone cryptocurrency. A code for this purpose can then simply replace the address with one that points to the criminal’s wallet, thus migrating the amount to the hacker instead of the seller. The situation is a bit grotesque, as in many cases one hacker steals the other with this method – but somehow we can’t really rejoice in this new form of crime. Hardware, software, tests, curiosities and colorful news from the world of IT by clicking here