The paranoia is justified and stringent measures must be taken to protect your computer against such cyber threats. Lately, there have been too many full-blown cyber attacks in the form of data leaks, security breaches, password managers failing, systems becoming victims of cryptojacking. It’s scary! Now, this question may arise — “what the hell is cryptojacking”. Let me shed some light on the matter before getting to the solution.
What the Hell Is Cryptojacking?
Nefarious hackers are lurking around, looking for a system they can hijack for mining cryptocurrency without the knowledge of its owner. This is what the digital world is calling cryptojacking. It was not so simple earlier where the victim had to install some malicious software for the hijackers to gain access to the system. However, with the advent of in-browser cryptocurrency mining with the help of a few lines of Javascript, it has become way easier for these pirates to gain full access of your system and use it to mine cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, LiteCoin, Monero, etc.
How Does Cryptojacking Work?
Glad you asked! In-browser cryptojacking is practically a cakewalk if the user is not careful enough. Hackers use malicious Javascript codes to hijack your web browser. Javascript is the most used digital language on the Internet. It’s even at the back end of this page that you’re reading right now. You don’t need to install any program to open any webpage in a browser. This is what makes cryptojacking using Javascript codes so easy. One unfortunate click and your system becomes a fly caught in the sticky spider web of a cryptojacker. Here’s how such a malicious code looks like: Using the above code, CoinHive hackers can mine for Monero, a cryptocurrency that has a price of $409.37 as of today.
How Do I Block Cryptojacking in Firefox?
Here are two ways you can protect your system from cryptojacking on the Firefox browser.
1. NoScript Security Suite
In order to secure your system, you need to install an add-on for your Firefox that will block websites that have hidden Javascript codes for mining cryptocurrencies. This will allow active content to run only from the websites that can be trusted. NoScript Security Suite will block all the malicious webpages and keep your system safe from cryptocurrency miners. This security suite works on browsers such as Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Tor, and Safari. Also, it works for the Android version of Firefox.
2. Mining Blocker
This free crypto-mining blocker is one of the best add-ons for Firefox. It detects malicious javascript codes on pages even before they go active on your browser. This crypto-mining blocker prevents cryptojackers from accessing your system and suck the juice out of your CPU and power supply, making a dent on your monthly electricity bill. You can also deactivate the add-on temporarily if you are in the mood of mining some coins for yourself.
Other Ways
There are other ways to protect your system from cryptojackers. These include using the AdBlocker Plus protection filter against mining scripts or using the Tor browser for anonymous browsing. Let us know how these methods have made your system fortified enough. The comment section is below. The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.
