UK 'cryptojacking' attacks surge 1,200% as bitcoin value rise sees illegal miners taking over PCs

Incidents of cryptojacking - the process of hacking bitcoins and other digital currencies - have surged in the UK in recent months by as much as 1,200 per cent, according to one cybersecurity giant. Symantec Threat Intelligence observed a dramatic up-tick in attacks on lucrative cryptocurrency holdings between October and January. The findings coincide with a spike in interest in bitcoin, which was valued at an all-time high of $19,850 (£14,214) in mid-December. Cryptojacking sees hackers commandeering other people's personal computers for use in bitcoin mining, sometimes loading victims' devices with unwanted software but often preferring to go undetected. The practice was once dependant on installing malware on the target's computer but can now be carried out in-browser by hacking a web page's JavaScript.