Specialists believe that the North Korean group of hackers Lazarus is behind the malicious software. The malware hosts itself on the memory of computers with MacOS and is very difficult to detect.

It was reported that new malware is affecting Apple computers and is very difficult to detect. Security researchers confirmed the presence of the virus, highlighting that its creators use a fake cryptocurrency trading company as a façade for their illegal activities.

Cyber-security expert Dinesh Devadoss revealed the finding of a virus that can store itself on the memory of computers with MacOS operating systems. The malware may receive a payload ― ­­that is, a message or any other type of data ― from a remote location. Thus, hackers can execute specific operations, such as the theft of personal files directly from the computer’s memory.

The malware’s spread and resistance to antivirus were confirmed by security expert Patrick Wardle, head of research at the software company Jamf. He stressed that the virus is very difficult to detect as it uses a tool known as Daemon, which allows it to run in the background without affecting the computer’s normal functions. According to the VirusTotal platform, only 12 out of 70 antivirus programs on the market have been able to find the new malware.

Strikingly, the virus is related to an alleged cryptocurrency trading company. The packaged malware can be found on the website of the platform Union Crypto Trader, as noted by the Objective See blog. The company offers itself as “a smart cryptocurrency arbitrage trading platform” but it does not provide any links for downloading real applications.

Fortunately for those affected, it was found that the virus has not compromised any computer irreversibly, nor has it stolen data or cryptocurrencies. The researchers believe that it was discovered before hackers could send a payload that would operate an action on the computers, that is, before they could conduct an organized attack.

False Cryptocurrency Companies as Bait

The Objective See blog says, together with Devadoss and Wardle, that this new malware’s creators maybe the North Korean group of hackers Lazarus. The researchers not only discovered codes that this virus shares with other malicious files developed by Lazarus but also found similarities in the modus operandi.

In 2018, the same group conducted a similar attack operation, known as AppleJeus, which used malware aimed at Apple computers. The hackers emailed an invitation to participate in a cryptocurrency trading platform, which was packed with Trojan viruses. Last October, the ecosystem also reported that the Lazarus group had created a false cryptocurrency company called JMT Trading.

It should be noted that this not the first time that the North Korean group of hackers has been interested in attracting cryptocurrency users to make them their victims. Lazarus has previously developed viruses dedicated to stealing Bitcoin, and has been said to be responsible for creating the Wannacry ransomware, a data encryption attack with a ransom demand in Bitcoin that generated the greatest losses among European companies.

Hackers take advantage of the popularity of the blockchain ecosystem to capture unsuspecting users, so it is recommended to take precautions before downloading applications from the web. Researching the origin of a product and its developers, as well as downloading applications only from official websites or verified social networks, are two practices that can help avoid false offers.

By Willmen Blanco

The financial institution will conduct “serious and methodical research” on digital currencies. The Governor of the Central Bank describes France as a technology innovation enthusiast.

It was reported by AFP news agency that France is looking to test in 2020 digital currencies issued by central banks, especially the National Bank of France.

At a conference held by the French Prudential Supervision and Resolution Authority (ACPR), the governor of the National Bank of France, François Villeroy de Galhau, said that said financial institution will soon start to test digital currencies and that it “will issue a call for projects before the end of the first quarter of 2020,” according to the report.

According to Villeroy de Galhau, France is enthusiastic about contributing to the innovation of digital currencies. However, he also noted that the European country needs to experiment with the new technology systematically.

The financial official considers that they must contribute their stone to the building of this innovation [digital currencies], taking it seriously and following a methodological procedure. He perceives that there is an interest in moving quickly towards the issuance of a central bank digital currency to be the issuer at the international level and take advantage of the benefits of a digital currency of the central bank of reference.

Even though this digital currency must first be tested in a restricted context, for interbank use only, the governor of the National Bank of France also makes provision for the establishment of a “retail” digital currency aimed at individuals, which extends throughout the eurozone. The official said that there will continue to be debates on a model of society that does not need to use cash.

This news was released just after the Minister of Economy and Finance of France, Bruno Le Maire, appealed for the creation of a “public digital currency” at a meeting in the European Union. The minister had previously expressed his opposition to the cryptocurrency project of Facebook, Libra, saying that France would block the project if it was not able to address concerns about the potential risks that it poses to monetary sovereignty.

Meanwhile, the People’s Bank of China is also experimenting with its own digital currency, the DC/EP. The financial institution said that it has been studying this new technology since 2014 and that they are almost ready to launch their digital currency.

However, the bank recently announced to clarify that they are still testing and researching the digital yuan, but they have not yet revealed the release date.

Apart from France and China, other countries are studying the issuance of cryptocurrencies by their national banks. Even the United States, with its FEDNow project, is aware of the relevance of crypto assets in today’s global economy.

By observing what other financial institutions have done regarding this subject, it will be easier for new venturers to make better decisions when attempting to issue and implement their cryptocurrencies.

By Willmen Blanco

The Spanish company took three years to complete the blockchain project for ecological purposes.

Greenb2e is a Spanish company that has developed a project which seeks to turn the use of clean energy into tokens so that, in this way, it can promote ecological ideas and actions within the business and industrial sector.

According to data published by some local media, Spanish energy companies now trade their energy surpluses using other alternatives, as well as rewarding with considerable tokens the considerable decrease in electricity or replacement of polluting energy by renewable energy, using a blockchain platform.

The central idea of the project that Greenb2e seeks to lead is to replace, in a considerable way, all the energy produced by pollutants, such as those generated with diesel, oil or coal, with green energy sources produced by more pleasant methods for the environment.

In this way, the Spanish company has managed to create a method to convert all CO2 emissions that are not sent to the atmosphere into tokens, as well as calculate the energy leftover from industrial activities in national companies, convert them into digital assets and sell them to third parties.

According to data offered by the Spanish company, the project began its development three years ago, adding its participation in the Bankia Fintech Insomnia Accelerator. During the development of the tool, they managed to calculate and measure, with a blockchain system, the excess energy of each of the companies they used as an example.

After this calculation process, they will use Stockmind, a Bankia platform to convert the remaining energy, generated by saving electricity, CO2, among other resources, into easily negotiable tokens.

The tokens created using this energy are also called “green certificate”. Shortly, they can be presented in a specialized market for energy surpluses. Within this market, buyers, who are usually companies dedicated to the sector, can buy these tokens to compensate for their excesses of greenhouse gas generation and support efforts to reduce the impact it generates to the planet. On the other hand, the company that generates these tokens can obtain profits produced by actions that preserve the environment.

Project Tests Were Successful

Two months before the publication of the launch of this ecological solution, Greenb2e carried out concept tests in a vineyard located in Argamasilla de Alba, in Spain. During this test, the replacement of electricity-generating pumps with diesel fuel was used, which allowed extracting the water used for irrigation systems, by solar panels that allowed the same action. In this way, it was possible to create tokens for every ton of CO2 that was saved and avoided being thrown into the atmosphere.

This project generated the immediate attention of the World Bank (WB), which invited Bankia to be part of the initiative. This project showed its progress in Madrid during the Climate Summit 2019, which was applauded by the participants.

Besides, Greenb2e decided to inform that at this time they are developing other similar projects that will seek to create more impact on green solutions for companies. During the announcement, representatives of the company commented that they are creating a similar system for the port of Valencia, which will also calculate the surplus of the energy used to convert it into tokens, but with the difference that it will allow the port to send part of that surplus energy to some users or port facilities that are close to the port.

The Spanish company said enthusiastically that they are working to improve this project so that it can be adapted to other types of companies or institutions such as schools or ports. They also stated that they commit renewable energy and the future of the planet.

By María Rodríguez