Argentina’s Starbucks Wi-Fi Made Computers To Mine Cryptocurrency

Starbucks Argentina confirmed the visitors to one of its branches were accidentally hired into a cryptocurrency mining operation.

The issue was identified only when the chief executive of a New York-based technology company logged into the service and noticed the problem, according to BBC. At first he thought, that the code had been created to force his laptop for creating Bitcoins, but other users noted that it had been designed to mine another cryptocurrency called Monero.

The wi-fi service provided by one of the coffee chain’s Buenos Aires outlets secretly hijacked connected computers to use their processing power to create digital cash. It is not clear how long the malware involved was active or how many customers were affected.

Starbucks told it  had taken “swift action” to find where the problem came from. To minimize their risks, public wi-fi users should secure they use up-to-date software and be on the lookout for suspicious activity, as some specialist advises.