Skype malware mines bitcoins

Users of videoconferencing tool Skype may not know it but they could be mining Bitcoins if their apps are infected with a new malware targeting them.

 

A report on tech site The Next Web cited a finding by Kaspersky Labs indicating most of the initial victims are in Italy, Russia, Poland, Costa Rica, Spain, Germany, and Ukraine.

 

“The initial trojan is downloaded from a server located in India, and many anti-malware programs as measured by VirusTotal don’t detect it. Once the machine is infected, the trojan drops multiple other pieces of malware, using Hotfile to grab the bits and also connecting to a server located in Germany for further instructions,” it said.

 

Bitcoin is a decentralized digital currency, and can be used to pay for certain transactions both offline and online.

 

The Next Web noted the Bitcoin-mining malware tend to hog computer’s resources to mine for Bitcoins.

 

As such, the cybercriminals “generate a profit, while the victims’ computers slow down (sometimes to the point of becoming unstable and unusable).”

 

The Next Web advised users not to click on random links they receive on Skype.

 

“You’ll be doing yourself a favor, helping stop the spread of malware, and ensuring criminals get a smaller pay day,” it said. — TJD, GMA News