The report, compiled by the team of security analysts at the Skybox Research Lab, has found that ransomware has been replaced by cryptomining malware as the cybercriminal tool of choice. In the last six months of 2017, ransomware accounted for 32 percent of attacks, while malicious cryptominers accounted for seven percent. By the first half of 2018, the figures had switched almost exactly: malicious cryptominers accounted for 32 percent of attacks while ransomware dropped to eight percent.
Cryptomining uses the computational power of compromised assets to create new blocks in the blockchain of like Bitcoin and Monero.
Other findings in the report appear to relate to this rise in cryptomining. Internet and mobile vulnerabilities made up nearly a third of all new vulnerabilities published in the first half of 2018. Google Android had by far the most vulnerabilities during that time period, exceeding the tally of the next five most vulnerable vendors combined.
Android also logged 200 more vulnerabilities than it did in the second half of 2018. Malicious cryptomining has found an advantage in targeting the app store of the global market leader in mobile devices, with billions of potential targets worldwide.
To read the full report on vulnerability and threat trends thus far in 2018, click here.
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