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What Do Cryptocurrency Miners Have to Do with Your Customers?

What Do Cryptocurrency Miners Have to Do with Your Customers?

Updates January 2021.

Way back in 2009, the very first cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, debuted. Cryptocurrencies are digital currency that exist without a government to back them; for many users, the value of cryptocurrency is the fact they allow users to make transitions completely anonymously. Right now, the going rate for one Bitcoin fluctuates daily, but has reached as high as $42,000 American for one Bitcoin, which would seem to put the entire issue out of reach for ordinary people living ordinary lives.

[Tweet “Websites that are built using WordPress are particularly vulnerable.”]

But not so fast. It turns out that cryptocurrencies are impacting ordinary people, including you and your customers. Cryptocurrencies are dependent on a technology called blockchain, which tracks transactions. Blockchain technology uses very powerful encryption to keep this record secure and secret, and that’s where things start to go right off the rails.

You see, powerful encryption doesn’t just happen. Powerful encryption is created by performing mathematical calculations in quantities large enough to make anyone’s eyes cross. Every time the calculation is performed, the cryptocurrency pays the person performing it a very, very small payment. This is known as cryptocurrency mining.

The problem with cryptocurrency mining is that it requires a tremendous amount of computer processing power. If you’ve got the resources, the legitimate way to get into cryptocurrency mining on a significant scale is to build a server farm or access cloud-based servers; neither option is particularly affordable and there are a lot of would-be cryptocurrency miners out there.

There’s always a shady way to do things, and that’s true for cryptocurrency mining. Hackers have developed a number of ways to use a website’s visitors’ computing power to expand their cryptocurrency mining operations. This involves hidden scripts that are triggered any time a website visitor watches a video, views an advertisement, downloads a file, plays a game, or fills out a recaptcha in order to access additional content. This slows down the visitors’ computer, sometimes very noticeably.

Websites that are built using WordPress – the open source software that runs about 35% of the whole Internet – are particularly vulnerable. WordPress has continually and actively been taking steps to combat cryptocurrency mining, but it’s like an arms race: the minute they address one issue, the hackers come back with a new attack.

If you are operating a business, having a cryptocurrency mining exploit on your website can have serious repercussions.  Visitors who realize what is going on will quickly leave your site and it is doubtful they will ever return. Visitors who don’t understand what’s going on maybe frustrated as their computer slows down and they have a difficult time shopping your site. The impact on your sales numbers and business reputation will be very negative.

If you believe that your business website has been affected by cryptocurrency miners, we can help you fix that. More important is the discussion regarding using open source software like WordPress to operate your business website. While WordPress has the advantage of being free, its popularity has made it the target of choice of cryptocurrency miners and other hackers. Switching to a proprietary platform does come with a cost, but it can make you less of an attractive target to hackers who are trying to get rich at your customers’ expense.

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Creative Director/Senior Designer

Tom DiGrazia

With over a decade and a half of professional design experience, Tom brings his knowledge of design principles and focus on user experience to every aspect of his contribution to TTG. Paying special attention to each client’s brand, personalized needs and individual interests, he strives to create compelling concepts utilizing intuitive and highly-refined design solutions. In addition to traditional and digital design work and oversight at TTG, Tom also boasts a wide portfolio of web development projects with the company, allowing him to stretch his CSS and HTML skills across multiple platforms and disciplines. He feels that being a designer in the digital landscape of websites, eCommerce solutions, email marketing platforms and social media, it is important to understand the code that goes into these areas as it assists his ability to tailor designs specifically targeted to achieve the best end result and further builds understanding and communication with backend development teams.

In his off hours, Tom is an avid pop culture enthusiast, staying up to date on the latest shows, films, comics and games. He can also typically be found taking part in a whole host of artistic activities that help him further stretch his creative legs. Regardless of the activity, Tom is always accompanied by his dog, Eli, and his cat, Tib.

Specialties:
Design, Photography, Illustration, Digital Imagery Manipulation, Wesbite Development

Platforms/Tools:
Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Lightroom, HTML/CSS, Wordpress

Analyst/Strategist

Courtney Dumont

As Senior Marketing Strategist & Analyst at Technology Therapy Group, Courtney is energized by the ability to flex both her left and right brain daily. Courtney discovered her passion for Marketing at Bryant University, where she spearheaded research on students’ perceptions of Social Media Marketing for her Honors Capstone Project. After graduating Bryant in 2012, she joined the Technology Therapy team, where she’s honed her skills in social media, search and social advertising, email marketing, SEO, and more.

Since joining the team, Courtney has created digital marketing strategies and managed campaigns for clients across the country, ranging from plastic surgery centers, to jewelry stores, to construction companies. With a cohesive, cross-channel approach and a focus on data-driven decision making, she has increased their leads by up to 217%. But Courtney doesn’t leave her zeal for social media at the office; she also runs a local foodie Instagram account with her husband to document their meals across Rhode Island and beyond. Check them out: @hoppilyfed.

Specialties:
Marketing Strategy, Data Analysis, Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Social Media

Platforms/Tools:
Google Analytics, Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Facebook Creator Studio, Instagram, Klaviyo, Mailchimp, Emma Mail, Google Data Studio, WordPress, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Microsoft Office