Botnet and chill

from here and here (image source)

There are, of course, better ways to deal with malware - assuming you realize that malware is the problem in the first place. If all you know is the computer is overheating then maybe enhanced cooling is a reasonable adaptation.

Malware can't steal your resources if there aren't any left to steal

from here and here

It isn't really new news that Symantec have added crypto mining to Norton 360, but it popped up in my feed and it's still just such a ridiculous thing for a security company to do.

As if there'll still be snow in 2021

found on Reddit

This might have worked in the past, but I'm not sure it'll work anymore with the arctic on fire.

Next thing you know they'll be recording your keystrokes

from here and here (source article)

At first I was like "next they'll be encrypting your drive", but wait, maybe they already have full disk encryption. Then I thought, about carrying out commands sent from a server, but that's kind of part of how some anti-malware works too (especially those that send samples to the company's servers if it's a file that's never been seen before). They also download and execute binaries from remote servers - as part of their update process.

It's getting harder and harder to find a malicious payload that doesn't have a counterpart in security software.

Disclosure Pitfalls

from here and here (image source, article)

The problem with informing the public of vulnerabilities is that the bad guys get included and then they do this sort of thing. It could be a long time before everyone is patched, but it certainly not a long time before everyone's a target (everyone with a vulnerable exchange server, that is).

The state says gimme gimme

from here

There's some strange logic going on in this bitcoin mining malware case in Germany. The state is laying claim to the bitcoins under the argument that the bitcoins weren't stolen. No of course not, electricity and computing resources were stolen and converted into bitcoins. If I steal a car and convert it into cash does the state keep the cash? Shouldn't the money go back to the victims to compensate them for what was taken?

Scotty, we need more power!

from here (image source)

I suppose with the ever increasing power requirements of the cryptocurrency mining networks it was only a matter of time before someone got the bright idea of going directly to the source of electricity.

Peter Piper picked a peck of cryptominers

from here

I've seen a few stories about Smominru now and I just cannot stop stumbling over that word. I think my brain needs input validation.