Dusting Attack

A dusting attack is a malicious tactic used in the cryptocurrency space where tiny amounts of a cryptocurrency, known as "dust," are sent to multiple wallet addresses. The purpose of this attack is to trace and deanonymize the recipients by linking their wallet addresses through the blockchain. Once the dust is sent, the attacker analyzes the movement of funds in these wallets to identify patterns, attempting to trace the addresses back to their owners. Dusting attacks are particularly concerning for individuals who prioritize their privacy in the cryptocurrency world, as they can lead to the exposure of a user’s identity and subsequent threats like extortion or phishing attacks. While dusting attacks may not cause direct financial loss, they can compromise a user's privacy and security. Users can protect themselves by not engaging with unknown or suspicious transactions and using privacy-enhancing tools such as coin mixers.