News of WannaCry ransomeware attack spread like wildfire last weekend, causing panic among the public. Thousands of computers from over 150 countries were affected by the virus but the damage has been largely brought under check, thanks to proper interventions from governments and software companies. But another virus, called Adylkuzz, is more threatening than WannaCry.
What is Adylkuzz?
It is a cryptocurrency miner that exploits the vulnerability of Windows software like WannaCry ransomeware to generate digital cash. Unlike the WannaCry that locks down a system until a ransom is paid, Adylkuzz allows the computer to work but at the same time generates digital cash or "Monero" cryptocurrency in the background.
Also read: Dangerous Adylkuzz virus has done more damage than WannaCry ransomware
Researchers at security firm Proofpoint have said machines are infected with the BSA backdoor called DoublePulsar once it is exploited via EternalBlue. The DoublePulsar backdoor then downloads and runs Adylkuzz from another host before mining Monero cryptocurrency.
Impact
Adylkuzz is a silent killer unlike WannaCry ransomeware. It is believed to be active from as early as April 24 but lies undetected as it silently infects a system. The dangerous virus has reportedly infected more than 200,000 computers so far and raked in more than $1 million, more than WannaCry ransomeware in terms of monetary loss.
Sadly, Adylkuzz is less known to the public and users are unaware of its presence owing to its way of operation.
How will you know if your system is infected by Adylkuzz malware?
This virus kills your computer slowly unlike WannaCry ransomeware that shuts down your system before flashing a warning on the screen to pay a certain ransom to get your data back. Adylkuzz runs in the background silently while the machine is on, so it is difficult for a layman to detect its presence. However, you will experience degradation of your computer, bad server performance and lose access to shared Windows resources if your device is infected.
Precaution and steps needed to be taken to avoid attacks in future
Experts have warned that Adylkuzz could turn out to be much more malicious than previously thought, as it command and control servers hosting the cryptominer binaries and mining instructions. So, users should take precaution and follow certain steps to ensure that their systems are not infected in the future.
Your system becomes vulnerable to malicious virus if you don't update software. WannaCry ransomeware and Adylkuzz targeted only those PCs that do not run the latest software. So, it is obvious that you have to keep your system up to date to keep it secured. In short, don't turn off software updates button.
