An overwhelming majority of cybersecurity professionals believe that cryptocurrencies will become a permanent fixture in finance and could even serve as an established alternative to fiat money. This is according to a survey network-based malware protection provider Lastline conducted among more than 200 randomly selected IT security professionals who attended the 2018 RSA Conference in San Francisco.
A significant 84% of those polled think digital currencies are here to stay, be it as a mainstream alternative to traditional money (45.2%) or a peripheral thing (38.9%). Some 14.5% said they were willing to receive their salary in crypto as a new type of money rather than in fiat currency.
Lastline co-founder and CTO Giovanni Vigna commented:
"Security teams are fighting a multi-front battle to keep their organizations safe from cybercriminals. The threats range from established attacks, such as ransomware, to newer challenges such as those introduced by web-connected devices and cryptocurrencies. "
Crypto no threat to enterprises
In addition, the survey found that 70% of those polled do not see cryptocurrency as posing a threat to their organization. This is despite the overwhelming evidence that cybercriminals are getting more creative in their attacks to turn enterprise devices into miners on their behalf.
A significant 35.6% agreed that crypto mining poses a possible threat but think it unlikely. Another 22.6% dismissed the risk entirely, and 12.5% stated it was too early to tell.
Only 29.3% of the security experts see a clear and present danger in crypto mining although an overwhelming majority believe digital currencies are not just a passing fad.
Cybercriminals exploit device vulnerabilities
Digital security firm Avast warned during Mobile World Congress 2018 that cybercriminals could create an army of millions to mine cryptocurrency Monero by exploiting the vulnerabilities of smart TVs, smartphones, and other IoT (Internet of Things) devices.
Gagan Singh, mobile business manager at Avast, commented:
“Until recently, cybercriminals were focused on spreading malware to turn PCs into crypto-mining machines, but now we are also seeing an uptick in attacks targeting IoT devices and smartphones. According to current data from Shodan.io, a search engine for internet-connected things, 58,031 smart devices in Barcelona are vulnerable. If each of these devices was recruited to a botnet to mine Monero at Mobile World Congress, cybercriminals could earn the approximate equivalent of $3,600, or €3,000.”
This article appeared first on Cryptovest
