Google Cloud launches Virtual Machine Threat Detection to detect crypto-mining malware

Google Cloud has come with a service to help users who are vulnerable to cryptocurrency mining attacks. Google announced the release of Virtual Machine Threat Detection (VMTD) in its Security Command Center (SCC) area in a blog post. 

Google Cloud announced the release of the Virtual Machine Threat Detection (VMTD) in its Security Command Center (SCC) area in a blog post. The VMTD successfully detects risks, including crypto-mining malware deployed within virtual machines, by monitoring compute engines in the service.

Google Cloud priorities user safety

In November of last year, Google said that 86% of the 50 investigated incidents involving exploited Google Cloud protocols were tied to crypto mining. According to the Google “Threat Horizons” report, hackers may try to take over GPU space to mine cryptocurrency because it is a “cloud resource-intensive for-profit activity.”

The SCC Team wanted to improve safety for its Virtual Machine users as part of the product plan. The result is VMTD, a system that performs memory scanning without the use of an agent to help detect vulnerabilities such as crypto-mining malware. The VMTD not only protects users from crypto mining but also protects them from ransomware and data exfiltration.

Malware assaults that mine cryptocurrency, sometimes known as “cryptojacking,” are a constant risk in the industry. While browser-based cryptojacking became more popular during the bear market of 2019, cloud-based crypto mining continues to be a problem these days.

Ransomware attacks grew in popularity in 2021, peaking in April. Some analysts believe that the growth in ransomware attacks coincided with the dramatic rise of cryptocurrency. Many countries, including Australia, have taken strong steps to combat ransomware attacks.

The VMTD aims to gradually integrate with other segments of Google Cloud, benefiting even more Google Cloud users in the coming months.

In the case of crypto-mining malware assaults, Google has made a solid effort to stop malicious actors from using the CPU power and electricity of unknowing web users to mine crypto.