Cybercriminals go after Bitcoin online currency

Cybercriminals are becoming more creative and resourceful in efforts to steal Bitcoins, an Internet-based currency, according to computer security firm Trend Micro. Trend Micro said these cybercriminals are using different means to get at the Bitcoins, aside from using malware to turn infected computers into “miners." “The nature of Bitcoin presents many opportunities for abuse, as well as utilization for cybercriminal operations, and increase of threats we’re seeing now is definitely just the beginning," it said in a blog post. It said one of its fraud analysts, Maela Angeles, noted the emergence of phishing sites that target users of “Mt. Gox," a popular exchange for Bitcoin. Mt. Gox issued an advisory about the rise of phishing attacks late last month, it noted. A similar attack may have compromised a certain Bitcoin account that dropped the price of Bitcoin from $17.5 to cents, Trend Micro added. On the other hand, Trend Micro said it encountered a webmaster who reported he received a threat from a cybercriminal, saying that his website will be DoS-ed unless he pays 100 Bitcoins to a certain account. “It seems like Bitcoin is gaining popularity not only in the computing industry, but in the threat landscape as well," Trend Micro said. — TJD, GMA News