Have you wondered how to know if they are using your mobile to mine cryptocurrencies? Although it may seem unlikely to you, it is more common than you can imagine and it is not a small thing. Cryptocurrencies have marked a before and after both in the world of finance and in technology.
For this reason (and knowing how valuable they are despite their abrupt changes in their prices) some hackers have taken on the task of creating ways to use third-party computers, tablets and even smartphones to mine cryptocurrencies without their consent. This practice is known as cryptojacking .
This may seem innocent and harmless to you, but cryptocurrency mining is an activity that puts the hardware of any digital device under a huge constant workload that can cause serious and even irreparable damage .
How to know if they are using your mobile to mine cryptocurrencies: the signs
If your smartphone is suffering from a cryptojacking attack you will have very clear signs:
- Short battery life: Because cryptocurrency mining requires a lot of power, your battery life will be shorter than it should be, even if you’ve only used your phone a few times during the day. It is also possible that the battery is damaged frequently.
- Your mobile gets very hot: mining cryptocurrencies requires a great use of the processor, RAM and also the GPU. Therefore, it will not be strange if your smartphone is very hot, even when you are not using it.
- Slowness of the interface: due to the heavy load that your mobile is subjected to, when you try to do simple tasks such as surfing the Internet, setting an alarm, checking the calendar or changing settings, it will be very slow. Sometimes you won’t even be able to do these simple tasks because the apps will be closed.
- Your applications take time to open: in addition to experiencing great slowness performing tasks with the native applications of your Android device, the same will also happen with the messaging, social networking, gaming or any other apps that you have installed.
- Keyboard issues: Another glitch that your smartphone could experience if it is suffering from a cryptojacking attack is keyboard issues. Pressing the letters will not always type. The keyboard may also not appear when you try to type.
Avoid being a victim of cryptojacking with these tips
The easiest way to prevent your smartphone from being infected with some type of malware capable of doing cryptojacking is to limit yourself to downloading all your applications from Google Play and keeping the ones you already have installed up to date.
The chances of your Android phone being affected will be higher if you download APK files from unofficial sites. The same is also true when you browse the Internet. Avoid shady websites that ask you to download any type of file or program.
Avoid downloading files from unknown sources that come to you through any messaging application. You also shouldn’t do this if you receive a file from a known contact that you didn’t expect to get to you.
How to delete the malware used to mine cryptocurrencies from your mobile
If you have noticed that your smartphone is suffering from cryptojacking, there are three simple options to solve the problem:
- Uninstall any apps or games you installed via APK: Some cryptojacking malware can be removed simply by uninstalling the malware-carrying app.
- Use an antivirus program – If the problem persists, you should ideally use an antivirus application to remove it. Although some options leave a lot to be desired, a good alternative is Microsoft Defender, which is available for Android.
- Use factory reset: This can be the most radical option of all, so you should only resort to it if all else fails. The good news is that it is not a very difficult thing to do. Do not forget that we have already told you in detail about the factory reset to eliminate viruses.
And you do you think? Have you ever suffered cryptojacking? Tell us in the comments.
