File storage provider QNAP has issued a recommendation to protect its customers from Bitcoin (BTC) mining attacks.
Hardware company QNAP released a recommendation to its customers last week after noticing an ongoing attack on networked storage devices (or NAS devices connected to the internet), according to a report on Bleeping Computer. It is alleged that the devices affected by the attack are illegally mining Bitcoin.
The mining malware has itself been dubbed “Dovecat” by security experts, who say it has been affecting computing systems (other than QNAP) since November last year. It’s a bane for QNAP’s customers, as the malware ends up hogging all computing power available, making their devices unusable for everyday work.
QNAP cited the use of weak passwords for NAS devices as the main source of malware attacks. The company made a statement, "According to the analysis, QNAP NAS can be connected with weak user passwords and can be infected." To protect against this type of malware, QNAP asked all clients to generate and use tougher passwords, install malware programs, and update their NAS devices to the latest software.
QNAP adds that it has developed its own anti-malware protection for clients. The company said, "QNAP is making it a priority to develop a solution that will remove Dovecat from infected devices".
