Risk Assessment of Cryptojacking Attacks on Endpoint Systems: Threats to Sustainable Digital Agriculture

Tetiana Babenko, Kateryna Kolesnikova, Maksym Panchenko, Olga Abramkina, Nikolay Kiktev (), Yuliia Meish and Pavel Mazurchuk
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Tetiana Babenko: Department of Cybersecurity, International IT University, Manas Str., 34/1, Almaty A15M0E6, Kazakhstan
Kateryna Kolesnikova: Department of Information Systems, International IT University, Manas Str., 34/1, Almaty A15M0E6, Kazakhstan
Maksym Panchenko: Faculty of Information Technology, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Volodymyrs’ka Str., 64/13, 01601 Kyiv, Ukraine
Olga Abramkina: Department of Cybersecurity, International IT University, Manas Str., 34/1, Almaty A15M0E6, Kazakhstan
Nikolay Kiktev: Education and Research Institute of Energetics, Automation and Energy Efficiency, National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Heroiv Oborony Str. 15, 03041 Kyiv, Ukraine
Yuliia Meish: Education and Research Institute of Energetics, Automation and Energy Efficiency, National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Heroiv Oborony Str. 15, 03041 Kyiv, Ukraine
Pavel Mazurchuk: Education and Research Institute of Energetics, Automation and Energy Efficiency, National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Heroiv Oborony Str. 15, 03041 Kyiv, Ukraine

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 12, 1-36

Abstract: Digital agriculture has rapidly developed in the last decade in many countries where the share of agricultural production is a significant part of the total volume of gross production. Digital agroecosystems are developed using a variety of IT solutions, software and hardware tools, wired and wireless data transmission technologies, open source code, Open API, etc. A special place in agroecosystems is occupied by electronic payment technologies and blockchain technologies, which allow farmers and other agricultural enterprises to conduct commodity and monetary transactions with suppliers, creditors, and buyers of products. Such ecosystems contribute to the sustainable development of agriculture, agricultural engineering, and management of production and financial operations in the agricultural industry and related industries, as well as in other sectors of the economy of a number of countries. The introduction of crypto solutions in the agricultural sector is designed to create integrated platforms aimed at helping farmers manage supply lines or gain access to financial services. At the same time, there are risks of illegal use of computing power for cryptocurrency mining—cryptojacking. This article offers a thorough risk assessment of cryptojacking attacks on endpoint systems, focusing on identifying critical vulnerabilities within IT infrastructures and outlining practical preventive measures. The analysis examines key attack vectors—including compromised websites, infected applications, and supply chain infiltration—and explores how unauthorized cryptocurrency mining degrades system performance and endangers data security. The research methodology combines an evaluation of current cybersecurity trends, a review of specialized literature, and a controlled experiment simulating cryptojacking attacks. The findings highlight the importance of multi-layered protection mechanisms and ongoing system monitoring to detect malicious activities at an early stage.

Keywords: agroecosystem; cryptojacking; cybersecurity; cryptocurrency mining; endpoint systems; malicious scripts; risk assessment; risk management; security monitoring (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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