ESET experts called Russia the leader in the number of cyber attacks related to cryptocurrencies

Russia topped the list of countries whose residents are most often exposed to cryptocurrency-related attacks, said the computer security company ESET. According to experts, from January to April 2021, Russia accounted for 8.9% of such attacks.

The activity of malware related to cryptocurrencies during this time increased by 18.6% compared to the last four months of 2020. In addition, cases of hidden mining began to occur 22% more often. They were the main factor in the rise of the overall value in the segment under consideration. At the same time, the activity of programs for stealing cryptocurrencies decreased by 28%. However, a surge in related activity was recorded in late January due to the spread of the Win32/PSW.Delf virus.OSF, focused on Monero miner wallets and often found on gaming forums and file distribution sites.
"The growth in demand for cryptocurrencies is directly reflected in the increase in threats associated with them," said Igor Kabin, senior developer at ESET. – As cryptocurrencies spread, the number of malware whose creators seek to make money from them will increase."
According to him, bitcoin remains a favorite target of cybercriminals, but earlier this year there was also an increase in the number of attacks on Ethereum wallets. Covertly mining popular cryptocurrencies is no longer so profitable, so attackers seek to use the resources of their victims to mine other digital assets that may become popular from time to time. At the same time, large cryptocurrencies prefer to steal, rather than mine.
"We continue to see disturbing examples of cybercriminals rapidly exploiting current vulnerabilities and configuration errors to maximize returns on their investments," ESET added.