Bitcoin-linked heist: thieves stolen 600 powerful computers in Iceland
4.3.2018 securityaffairs Cryptocurrency

Thieves steal 600 powerful computers in a huge heist in Iceland with the intent to use them for mining Bitcoin.
Cyber criminal organization continue to show a great interest in cryptocurrencies, the number of crimes against cryptocurrency industry is on the rise.

News of the day is that crooks have stolen 600 powerful computers from data centers in Iceland to use in Bitcoin mining. At the time, the computers, that are worth almost $2 million, have not yet been found.

“Some 600 computers used to “mine” bitcoin and other virtual currencies have been stolen from data centers in Iceland in what police say is the biggest series of thefts ever in the North Atlantic island nation.” reads the post published by The Associated Press.

The thieves have stolen 600 graphics cards, 100 processors, 100 power supplies, 100 motherboards and 100 sets of computer memory to use in the proficuous activity.

The Icelandic media dubbed the crime the “Big Bitcoin Heist,” the authorities have arrested 11 people, including a security guard.

A judge at the Reykjanes District Court on Friday ordered two people to remain in custody.

“This is a grand theft on a scale unseen before,” Police Commissioner Olafur Helgi Kjartansson said. “Everything points to this being a highly organized crime.”

The thefts occurred between late December and early January, the members of the gang were identified thank the surveillance cameras used by the server company Advania.

Advania suffered two of the four thefts, the company had been offering its customers access to bitcoin-mining rigs, for this reason, crooks targeted the firm.

The police are searching any evidence to track the thieves, authorities are also tracking energy consumption across Iceland in case they turn on their computers. A spike in the energy consumption could reveal their location if the thieves don’t take measure to avoid being tracked.

“Police tracking the stolen computers are monitoring electric consumption across the country in hopes the thieves will show their hand, according to an industry source who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not allowed to speak to the media.” concluded the Associated Press.

“Unusually high energy usage might reveal the whereabouts of the illegal bitcoin mine.”

Iceland is a good place where find cheap, renewable energy for crypto mining activities.