Security News > 2020 > June > BlackBerry partners with Intel to detect cryptojacking malware
BlackBerry has added a new feature to its endpoint detection and response platform Optics: An Intel-powered cryptojacking malware detection system.
BlackBerry claims its cryptojacking EDR has "Virtually no processor impact" on Windows 10 systems that Optics runs on, allowing "Organizations [to] detect and mitigate cryptojacking with greater precision and consistent results across all types of workloads."
Cryptojacking is a form of malware that, once installed, quietly mines cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin using the resources of the infected machine.
The March 2019 closure of Coinhive, a JavaScript-based cryptocurrency site that was a favorite tool of cryptojackers, caused a massive blow to the cryptojacking process, which exploded by 8,500% in 2017.
Josh Lemos, BlackBerry's VP of research and intelligence, said with the diminishing effectiveness of ransomware and costs associated with mining cryptocurrency "Cryptojacking becomes an attractive option for threat actors to generate revenue." Lemos said that BlackBerry's goal is to create a turnkey solution for organizations concerned about the threat of cryptojacking.