Skype users beware. Last week, TheNextWeb reported a new Skype malware that has been spreading at 2000 clicks per hour. The malware tries to convince Skype users to click on a link, unloading a Bitcoin mining application into your system. Cyber criminals use the the Bitcoin mining malware to mine Bitcoins (digital money), hijacking the victim’s computer resources. While the criminals are generating a tidy profit, the victim’s CPU gets maxed out, becoming slow and unusable.
This isn’t the first time Skype has been hit with a vicious virus. Last October Skype users were hit with malware in the form of a harmless looking message that said, “lol is this your new profile pic?” Clicking on the link caused a host of problems from fraudulent money extortion to stealing information from your Facebook, Twitter, and PayPal accounts.
Skype has made it fun and easy to connect to friends, family, clients, and business partners around the world. Unfortunately this also means it won’t be the last time it may compromise your security with an ugly worm.
Related articles
- Bitcoin mining malware spreads on Skype as prices rocket (ZDNet)
- Skype – a history of security leaks (VSee)
- Don’t even think about Skype for telehealth (VSee)
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photo courtesy: zcopley via Flickr
