Blockchain technology, which forms the basis of the cryptocurrency ecosystem, is among the most secure technologies in the world thanks to its roots in cryptography. However, there is always a risk that technology will be abused by people, and although blockchain technology is among the safest technologies, it can be exposed to this risk. As the ecosystem continues to grow, developers continue to work hard to solve such problems. In our newest article, we will talk about the Dusting Attack, one of the attack types in the ecosystem.
Let's look at the word “dust” first. In the ecosystem, small amounts of crypto assets owned by users are called Dusts, and they are too small to be used for purchases. These crypto assets are so small that if they disappear, their owners may not even be aware of it. On Bitexen, these small balances can be converted to BTXN.
Now, let's see what a Dusting Attack is. It is an attack that happens when a hacker or group of hackers sends a small amount of cryptocurrency to a user's wallet. The purpose behind this action is to gain access to the user's credentials.
The amount is so small that it is difficult for a user to notice that any cryptocurrency has been added to his wallet. If a Dusting Attack is successful, attackers can use the data they obtain against their targets through elaborate phishing attacks or cyber extortion.
In late October 2018, Samourai Wallet developers announced that some of their users had been exposed to a Dusting Attack. The company also published content that warns users of attacks and tells them how to protect themselves. The Samourai team enabled a “spend” feature for Dust tracking that allows users to flag suspicious funds, ensuring that they are excluded in future transactions.
You can regularly monitor the movements in your wallet to avoid being exposed to a Dusting Attack. Since Dusts don't cause any easily noticeable changes in your wallet's balance, converting them into crypto assets that you can track down can be a solution, as we have mentioned above.
