‘Cryptojacking’ Attacks on Financial Firms Surged in First Half

Hackers are increasingly targeting financial firms such as banks and trading houses with attacks designed to use their computer systems to mine cryptocurrencies, according to cybersecurity firm SonicWall.

The number of so-called cryptojacking attacks on financial companies more than tripled in the first half from a year earlier, SonicWall said in a report published Tuesday. The overall number of such events rose 30% to 66.7 million, the report found.

In cryptojacking attacks, criminals use malware to gain access to computer networks, then use that computing power to mine cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin -- a process that typically requires investing in ...