The Daily: Exchange Operator Pleads Guilty, Scammer Fined Over $1.9 Million

In today’s edition of Bitcoin in Brief we cover a number of stories related to crime from around the cryptosphere: an exchange operator pleads guilty to securities fraud, a scammer is fined over $1.9 million for bitcoin and binary options fraud, police get a crypto course and a new type of ransomware attack is discovered. … Read more

Top 5 Threats Keeping Cybersecurity Professionals Up at Night

If you’d asked any cybersecurity professional around this time last year what the greatest threat to cybersecurity was, they’d have undoubtedly said ransomware. Now worth over a billion dollars a year (and rising), with attacks like WannaCry and Petya/NotPetya wreaking havoc, every expert worth their salt was planning ways to stay ahead of the hackers. … Read more

Cryptojacking Rises as Ransomware Declines, Cyber Security Researchers Find

Two of the leading international cyber security firms, one from Russia and one from the USA, have both published their finds at the end of June showing an increase in the malware threats market share of cryptojacking at the expense of ransomware. Also Read: Police Forces Seize Over €4.5M in Crypto From Darknet LSD Market … Read more

The Role of Bitcoin in Crime: Ransomware

If there is one criminal trend related to Bitcoin that’s made a global impact, it has to be ransomware. This destructive type of malicious software has claimed thousands of victims across the world. It also highlights the potential of Bitcoin as a global payment method, albeit for nefarious purposes. The Ransomware Craze Is Still Alive … Read more

Bitcoin in Brief Wednesday: Crypto Leakers, Hackers and Rappers

Today’s collection of Bitcoin in Brief stories from across the cryptosphere showcases how bitcoin is an unstoppable force. Even if one centralized avenue can be pressured by some governments, others will soon pop up to replace it in the decentralized global ecosystem.   Also Read: 20% of Financial Institutions Examining Starting Cryptocurrency Trading Soon Wikileaks … Read more

Bitcoin Ransomware Attack Halts Major American City’s Government and Police

Many government services in Atlanta, Georgia, a major metropolitan US city, were brought to a halt this week. Ransomware appeared on municipal computers, urging a payment of $51,000 in equivalent bitcoin, otherwise vital city functions would be shut down. The hackers made good on their threat, and services all over the city were impacted, including … Read more

SpriteCoin Infects Cryptocurrency Users’ Computers with Ransomware

Cryptocurrency users have become a favorite target of cybercriminals over the past few years. With the value of all these currencies increasing exponentially, it is evident that criminal entities want their share of the cake. As a result, we have seen an influx of new malware-laden applications and tools, all of which are designed to obtain Bitcoin … Read more

Your Taxes Paid for a Lot of Blockchain Surveillance Last Year

Governments worldwide have been ramping up regulations for cryptocurrencies and hiring research and blockchain surveillance teams. One firm that tracks transactions on the Bitcoin Core blockchain is called Chainalysis, and this year the company has gathered over a half a million USD on record from various government and law enforcement entities. Also read: South Korean Exchange … Read more