Cryptojacking seems to have taken the main stage in 2018 as more and more attacks are focusing on mining the digital cryptocurrencies like BitCoin using infected computer’s CPU and GPU’s power, instead of encrypting your data for a ransom.

Cryptojacking is defined as the secret use of your computing device to mine cryptocurrency. It uses JavaScript on a web page to secretly mine digital coins without your consent, which is also called in-browser Cryptojacking. Since JavaScript runs on almost every website, it doesn’t need a program to be installed and mostly is spreading via the web through web browsers.

 

So how to tell if your browser is immune to Cryptojacking?

In response to the recent Cryptojacking attacks, the browser maker Opera has not only updated their browser to combat this new attack but also built a website that tests your browser to see where it stands against a Cryptojacking attack.

Open the browser you would like to test and head over to https://cryptojackingtest.com/.

Click Start button to start the test. It takes a few seconds for the site to evaluate the browser you are testing and display the result whether or not your current browser is up to the standard against the Cryptojacking.

I’ve tested on Chrome and Firefox and both are displaying a happy face with the result “You’re Protected”.

I also tested it on Edge browser. While it passed on Windows 10 Fall Creators Update it failed on Insider Preview build for some reason.

That leads to next step, what to do when the browser I am using failed?

Three things to try:

• Update your browser and switch to a browser that passes Cryptojacking test, such as Chrome, Firefox or Opera.
• Use an extension designed to block crypto mining scripts. More on this later.
• Use a good anti-virus program, such as Sophos Home.