Cryptojacking malware is already losing its appeal to cyber criminals as some users of the illicit cryptocurrency-mining software begin to realise that it isn't as simple a means of making a quick buck as they first thought.
Cryptocurrency-mining malware[1] is deployed to infect machines including PCs, servers[2], smartphones[3] and even Internet of Things connected devices[4], in order to secretly use their processing power to mine for cryptocurrency.
The stealthy nature of cryptojacking makes it highly appealing for cyber criminals, who can maintain a presence on an infected machine over a long period of time without much risk, since most users won't be suspicious of their computer running a little slower or their fans working harder.
Such is the popularity of cryptocurrency mining malware, it has overtaken ransomware as a means of cyber criminals turning a profit[5].
However, a little over eight months since the boom in cryptojacking malware began, this particular form of cyber crime appears to be losing its appeal, because despite remaining one of the most common forms of malware[6], detections have sharply declined in recent months.
Figures in the Cybercrime tactics and techniques: Q2 2018[7] report by Malwarebytes suggest that detections of coinminers on consumer desktop PCs peaked at five million in March, but dropped to around 1.5 million in June.
The pattern is similar to detections of coinmining malware on business desktop PCs -- 100,000 detections of cryptojacking malware in January declined to around 30,000 by June.
SEE: Cryptocurrency-mining malware: Why it is such a menace and where it's going next[8]
One reason cryptocurrency ming malware is being dumped by some criminals is because