A recent cybersecurity breach has exposed vulnerabilities in government agencies, as hackers infiltrated the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to mine cryptocurrency. The attackers secretly exploited the agency’s Microsoft Azure cloud resources, leading to $500,000 in unauthorized service charges before the breach was detected. This incident highlights the growing threat of cryptojacking, a cybercrime where hackers hijack computing power for financial gain.
How the Hackers Gained Access
The attackers used a technique called password spraying, which involves trying a set of commonly used passwords on multiple accounts until one works. They managed to breach a high-level administrator account that was part of a test environment, gaining significant control over the system.
Once inside, they created another account with similar privileges, allowing them to operate undetected for some time. Both accounts were then used to run cryptomining software, which consumes large amounts of processing power to generate digital currency. Since USAID was responsible for cloud costs, the agency unknowingly footed a massive bill for unauthorized usage.
What is Cryptojacking?
Cryptojacking is a cyberattack where hackers steal computing resources to mine cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Monero. Mining requires powe
[…]
Content was cut in order to protect the source.Please visit the source for the rest of the article.