According to Decrypt, data from a report by cybersecurity company SonicWall shows that the agency recorded a total of 332.3 million cryptojacking attacks in the first half of 2023, a 399% increase compared to the whole of last year. This number is higher than the total number of cryptojacking attacks in 2020, 2021 and 2022. SonicWall said that cryptojacking involves using servers and computer equipment belonging to others to mine digital assets, among which privacy-centric Monero is the most popular. Those affected may not even realize that they are victims, they may just feel that their machines are running slower than usual.

Spencer Starkey, vice president of SonicWall Europe, Middle East and Africa, said the biggest symptoms of cryptojacking include slower device response times, unusually high electricity bills, and overheating batteries that cause fans to overuse. Compared to ransomware or banking Trojans, the goal of cryptojackers is to remain undetected for as long as possible.