Ransomware and Cryptojacking: Down, But Not Out
Coin miner infections decline as prices drop; ransomware narrows in on enterprises
Ransomware and cryptojacking were go-to moneymakers for cyber criminals. But 2018 brought diminishing returns, resulting in lower activity.
For the first time since 2013, ransomware declined, down 20 percent overall, but up 12 percent for enterprises.
With a 90 percent plunge in the value of cryptocurrencies, cryptojacking fell 52 percent in 2018. Yet, cryptojacking remains popular due to a low barrier of entry and minimal overhead; Symantec blocked four times as many cryptojacking attacks in 2018 compared to the previous year.