Malware drains your battery and helps bad guys mine for cryptocurrency

New malware, although not widespread, gives a glimpse into what type of malware we could potentially see in the future.

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The "Coinkrypt" malware is making its rounds, infecting Google Android devices, letting cybercriminals mine Litecoin, Casinocoin and Dogecoin courtesy of hijacked devices.

Malware drains your battery and helps bad guys mine for cryptocurrency | TweakTown.com

Most malware today is designed to either steal information or create some type of financial incentive for criminals - and Coinkrypt follows that same strategy, but with a rather unique twist.

Although it isn't prevalent at the moment, security researchers want users to be aware of the potential ramifications if they are infected - including potentially causing batteries to drain faster - or eventually leads to overheating.

"While mining as a strategy hasn't paid off for these malware authors, as these digital currencies continue to grow, we predict that the number of new malware families targeting them will also continue to grow as malware authors experiment with various different strategies in their desire to cash in," a blog by security firm Lookout indicates.

NEWS SOURCE:blog.lookout.com

An experienced tech journalist and marketing specialist, Michael joins TweakTown to cover everything from cars & electric vehicles to solar and green energy topics. A former Staff Writer at DailyTech, Michael is now the Cars & Electric Vehicles News Reporter and will contribute news stories on a daily basis. In addition to contributing here, Michael also runs his own tech blog, AlamedaTech.com, while he looks to remain busy in the tech world.

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