BlackBerry reveals top crypto-focused malware amid rising cyber threats

In the process of stopping over 1.5 million cyberattacks between March and May, the cybersecurity arm of the former smartphone goliath BlackBerry identified malware families that actively try to hijack computers to mine or steal cryptocurrencies.

The three industries most affected by cyberattacks are finance, healthcare and government, according to the BlackBerry report. A commodity malware named RedLine is one of the long-standing financial threats tasked with harvesting cryptocurrency and banking information.

Clop ransomware — a variant of the CryptoMix ransomware family — was a common threat targeting banking and financial institutions. This malware was responsible for the data breach of fintech banking platform Hatch Bank.

When it comes to Blackberry’s list of the most prevalent malware families, SmokeLoader, RaccoonStealer (also known as RecordBreaker) and Vidar top the charts. SmokeLoader is one of the oldest rogue financial tools from 2011, which Russian-based threat actors have primarily used to load crypto miners, among other malware.

RaccoonStealer has been used to steal cryptocurrency wallet data and is reportedly being sold across the dark web. Vidar also is being widely used to harvest cryptocurrency wallets.

Linux was the biggest target out of all operating systems, and BlackBerry advised organizations to apply security patches regularly. Hackers target Linux to hijack and use computer resources for mining cryptocurrencies. A new strain of infostealer named Atomic macOS targets macOS users, primarily used to collect credentials from keychains, browsers and crypto wallets, among others.

Related: SEC adopts cyberattack disclosure rules, listed crypto firms included

OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT and Dall-e, recently announced a $1 million cybersecurity grant program to enhance and measure the impact of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven cybersecurity technologies.

“Our aim is to foster the advancement of AI-driven cybersecurity capabilities for defenders through grants and additional assistance,” stated OpenAI in its official announcement.

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