What is a Bitcoin Miner Virus?

BitCoinMiner is a base name for a wide variety of different crypto mining viruses. We know, you immediately think that the name of the virus implies that we are only talking about Bitcoin. However, we can say that this is just a name, which does not mean that it is not as dangerous for a wide range of different cryptos like Ethereum and others. No matter what name you are going to use for this malware, its action remains pretty much the same as you might imagine. 

If you know that BTC mining is no longer possible on a single PC due to the changes in the procedure itself, then you fully understand why mining has moved to companies that have a lot of the funds. So, you can imagine what kind of damage can be done if something like a crypto-miner virus attacks one of these systems. Basically, it means that you are mining cryptos and wasting your resources at the same time on someone else. The thing is, you’ll never notice it if you don’t pay attention.

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How did BitCoinMiner infect my computer?

Crypto-mining viruses are typically distributed using spam email campaigns and other Trojan-type viruses (chain infections). Spam campaigns distribute malicious attachments (usually MS Office documents) presenting them as legitimate documents (invoices, invoices, etc.) Once opened, these files stealthily download and install malware. Trojans open “back doors” for other viruses to infect the system. In some cases, cryptominers are also distributed using unofficial download sources (freeware download sites, free file hosting sites, peer-to-peer [P2P] networks, etc.), bogus software updaters and “bundling” method.

Unofficial download sources present malware as legitimate software, thus tricking users into downloading and installing it. Fake updaters infect the system by exploiting old software bugs / flaws or by simply downloading and installing malware rather than updates. “Bundling” is basically a stealth installation of third party apps along with regular software / apps. In summary, lack of knowledge and careless behavior of many users are the main reasons for computer infections.

How to Know If You Have a Trojan.Bitcoinminer

This type of infection is barely noticeable because it doesn’t open any windows. It just runs silently in the background of all other active processes. If you want to detect such infection, you need to open task manager and search for all unknown processes. In addition, pay attention to the following symptoms:

• In Task Manager, you always see over 50% CPU usage.
• The programs load slowly.
• The programs are no longer responding.
• The computer begins to freeze.
• Sudden restarts occur and prevent you from backing up your data.
• The machine generates excessive heat.
• The games are slower.

Here are some of the detection names given to such cryptographic malware:

• PUA.CoinMiner
• Trojan.BitMine
• Riskware.BitcoinMiner
• W32/CoinMiner
• Application.BitCoinMiner
• Trojan.BtcMine
• Riskware.Miner
• Win.Trojan.Bitcoinminer-72

The best antivirus that one can use to detect and block this file less, malware is RAM Antivirus. RAM Antivirus is part of RAM Internet Security as well as RAM Virus Protection. It provides protection and security against all kind of malware including file less malware like Bitcoin Miner Virus. On a related note, RAM Antivirus offers resilient cloud-based default protection that helps block even unknown files, including zero-day malware.

Each unknown file is contained in a digital container in which they are allowed to operate while their behavior is observed. The digital containerization which is very unique is the reason why RAM Ultimate Antivirus might be the best antivirus as it can detect and ultimately remove the Bitcoin Miner virus.

This article covers the answers to some of your frequently asked questions: