Authored by: @hetty-rowan
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![internet.png](https://images.hive.blog/DQmdAUkNBtUCgzRFxJhy2SicN7dZJYTBwphAmBzKLbPird4/internet.png)
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Hi LBI'ers, did you have any idea about what you would be reading here today? New? Well that's great, because I have to say that until about 5 minutes ago for today I actually had no idea what I was going to write. It's a typical Monday here, and my brain seems to be stuck in my bed today. I walk around, I talk, I walk the dogs, I play with them, and I stare at my screen in between. Sit down a few times to write a post, but seeing such a blank screen… no words will come to mind. I'll stop again, take the dogs outside one more time. Finally, a watery sun is shining and the temperature of 21 degrees is not so bad. Within a few weeks I would kill for a temperature like today with the same sun. When the ice flowers are back on the windows later, I look outside and regret that I am now inside when I could have been outside in a natural warmth.

Anyway… it should be clear. "I'm not functioning very well today." To start researching a coin or token in this mood, that didn't seem like a good idea to me. But then what?

Finally, I came to an important part to keep an eye on, and that hit me again when I saw the word “Dusting Attack”. A thing that happens more and more often and which, in my opinion, everyone should be prepared for.

In any case, it can't hurt to be reminded more often in the crypto world of the part **"Internet Security"** that you really have to build in for yourself. And what you should really pay attention to. Because as we all know, by its very nature the internet is NOT the safest place to be.

##### Cyber ​​crime is increasing at an alarming rate and there are now many victims in hacks. So the newest way seems to be the **“Dusting Attack”!**

How does this work then?

## What is Dust?
Let me just start at the beginning. Once upon a time there was a… No kidding. I just go straight to; **What is “Dust”?** Dust is a term that has been used in the crypto world for much longer before it was made known by the Dusting Attack.
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> **DUST is nothing more or less than a very small amount of a particular crypto**. 

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This number is often so small that you do not even notice that you have it in your possession. In principle, you can make crypto coins as small as you want. For example, it is possible to have 0.00000001 Bitcoin (BTC) in your possession. The value of this is, of course, almost nil. This number of Bitcoin is also the smallest amount of Bitcoin that you can own.
 
The moment you make a transaction on a crypto exchange, a small amount of the crypto may remain. You can often do nothing with this. Except that on many exchanges it is possible to exchange this dust for the native token of the exchange. For example, at Binance it is possible to exchange dust for BNB.
 
In the case of Bitcoin, we speak of dust when the outcome of a transaction is lower than the transaction costs. We also call this the dust limit, which is calculated based on the input and output of a transaction. For normal Bitcoin transactions, which do not use SegWit, this is 546 satoshis. For SegWit transactions, this number is 294 satoshis.
 
When a transaction is less than the number of satoshis, it is often seen as spam and you will not be able to complete the transaction. The dust will then remain in your wallet. The moment you add extra Bitcoin to your wallet, this number will of course increase. You can then try to send it all again.


## What is a Dusting Attack?
In a Dusting Attack, hackers try to steal crypto coins by means of dust. Many people do not even notice when there is dust in their wallet. That's why hackers send lots and lots of small amounts of crypto coins and tokens to different addresses. They then monitor all these addresses. For example, they check whether the dust is sent to another wallet that also belongs to the victim. They keep track of all this, so that they know which wallets and addresses belong to the victim.
 
They then use this information to carry out a phishing attack. For example, they can send you a link with a malicious script running behind it. The moment you click on the link, the attack is carried out, after which the hackers try to steal crypto coins and tokens from your wallet.
 
## Where is a Dusting Attack performed?
Generally, Dusting Attacks are performed on the Bitcoin network. Yet it is increasingly happening on other blockchains. And now there are also known attacks on Litecoin (LTC), Binance Coin (BNB) and several other crypto coins and tokens.

## How do I recognize a Dusting Attack?
It can happen that hackers have a Dusting Attack on you. For example, there were hackers who tried to carry out a Dusting Attack on the Binance crypto exchange in October 2020.
 
You can recognize a Dusting Attack by looking at the crypto coins you have received in your wallet. The moment you have received crypto coins from an address that you do not know, there is a good chance that it is a Dusting Attack attempt.
 
In some cases there is a link in the transaction. That is almost certainly a phishing link, which you should never click on. The latter is by the way a general rule for safe internet browsing, even if you are not talking about crypto specifically, but about the internet in general. Never click on a link that you don't know where it will take you.

## What should I do in case of a Dusting Attack?
Do you think there is a Dusting Attack attempt on you? Then you don't have to do anything. Just leave the crypto coins in your wallet and don't do any transaction with them, and never send them to another address that belongs to you. The most important rule is that you should never click on a link that you do not trust.
 
## Protect yourself from a Dusting Attack
There are several measures you can take to protect yourself from a Dusting Attack. These measures also help you to protect yourself from other attacks.
 
* **Never just click on a link**. If you don't know where a link will take you, don't click on it. It can always happen that a phishing attack is carried out. After all, there are enough cases from the past where many people have lost large amounts of crypto coins and tokens.
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* **It is also important to install a virus scanner that scans your computer or laptop daily for viruses**. If something has gone wrong, the virus scanner can ensure that the virus is cleaned up before it can cause damage. It is also recommended to use a VPN, so that your internet connection is extra protected against external influences. The VPN is also a number one rule when you use a public WiFi network.
 
To really protect yourself against Dusting Attacks, it is recommended to use a hardware wallet. A Dusting Attack is carried out on hot wallets, and not on the so-called cold wallets. Incidentally, a hardware wallet also protects your crypto coins against many other types of attacks.
 
## Other attacks within the crypto world
The Dusting Attack is of course not the only attack known within the crypto world. There are different types of attacks, some of which are carried out on individuals, while others are carried out on the entire community of the blockchain.
 
Below I discuss a number of known attacks. I also show you how you can protect yourself against these attacks, if possible.

## Ransomware
Ransomware is becoming an increasing problem. Not only individuals, but also large companies have to deal with ransomware. You probably know that ransomware is a type of malware that can take over your entire computer. It is therefore also known as ransomware.
 
The moment you have ransomware on your computer, all your files will be encrypted. That means you can no longer use them, or you must have the special key to decrypt files again. And let it usually be the case that you do not have that key, and that only the hackers have this key.
 
They want to give you the key, provided you transfer a certain amount of Bitcoin to them. This can vary between a few hundred to several thousand euros. If you don't transfer the money for a certain amount of time, all your files will be destroyed for good. In this way, entire networks have been taken hostage and a nice sum of Bitcoin ransom has already been paid by companies.
 
You can protect yourself against ransomware by using a virus scanner and not just opening a link or downloading a file. It often happens that hackers send an email with, for example, an invoice. However, when you open the invoice, ransomware is downloaded. If you are not expecting a certain email, file or link, it is better not to click on it.

## Cryptojacking
To understand this hack, it is important to know how the mining process works. That may be for another blog, because it is important to know. In cryptojacking, someone's computer is used to mine crypto.
 
Again, the victim must first download a file from the Internet. Then the file will ensure that the computer power of the victim is used to mine crypto for the hackers. They are also the only ones who will receive the rewards for mining the crypto.
 
With cryptojacking it also applies that youYou can protect yourself by using a virus scanner and not just opening a link or downloading a file. You can just download a file without knowing anything about it.

## 51% attack
The above attacks are performed on the individual uses. However, there are also various attacks that are carried out on the entire blockchain. Of these, the 51% attack is the most well-known, and that is why it is in this list.
 
Within the blockchain network, a decision is made when at least 51% of the network supports the choice. Imagine a miner has a block ready. Then the nodes in the network will check if the block is valid. When at least 51% of the network agrees with the block, it will be added to the network.
 
This also means that when one person or organization controls at least 51% of the network, the entire blockchain can be controlled by this organization. In this way, transactions can be approved that should not actually be approved at all. In that case, the blockchain is completely corrupt.
 
In a 51% attack, the goal is not financial gain, but destruction of the blockchain. The moment a 51% attack is performed, the price of the relevant currency immediately collapses. There is therefore virtually no financial gain to be made by the hackers.
 
The chance that such an attack will be successfully carried out on, for example, the Bitcoin or Ethereum blockchain is virtually nil. This is due to the large network that is behind these blockchains.
 
## Conclusion
The Crypto world has a new threat, a new kind of hack, which will certainly affect several people before it is in our system and we pay attention to this and can handle it with care.
 
**We are once again being confronted with the facts that although the internet is a wonderful medium, unfortunately there is also always cyber crime**. 

### Stay SAFU

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