Research Paper: Crypto-currencies and Cybercrime Trends - CO4515

This research paper delves into the escalating trends in cybercrime, specifically examining the nexus between crypto-currencies and malicious activities like botnet miners. The paper begins by defining crypto-currency and cybercrime, highlighting the increasing prevalence of botnet miners that utilize brute force attacks to gain unauthorized access to computing devices. It details the operational mechanisms of botnet miners, including how they exploit vulnerabilities to install malware and steal sensitive data. Furthermore, the paper explores various mitigation techniques to combat these threats, such as installing ad-blocking extensions, implementing endpoint protection, maintaining browser extensions, developing robust security policies, providing employee training, enforcing strong password practices, regularly updating software, and advising against the use of public Wi-Fi. The discussion section underscores the importance of addressing unauthorized access and network misconfigurations to prevent cybercrimes. The research concludes by emphasizing the critical need for proactive security measures to protect data privacy in the face of evolving cyber threats. The paper is a comprehensive review of the current cybercrime landscape, focusing on practical solutions for individuals and organizations.