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Norton Anti-Virus can now hijack your computer for cryptomining

2022-01-05 00:00:00

The popular anti-virus software company Norton recently "added" a new "feature" which will "allow" the company to use your computer to mine for the Ethereum cryptocurrency whenever you're not using it. Yes, that's right: the anti-virus software wants you to let them remotely control your computer.

But wait! There's more!

Norton Crypto is included as part of Norton 360 subscriptions. However, there are coin mining fees as well as transaction costs to transfer Ethereum. The coin mining fee is currently 15% of the crypto allocated to the miner. Transfers of cryptocurrencies may result in transaction fees (also known as "gas" fees) paid to the users of the cryptocurrency blockchain network who process the transaction. In addition, if you choose to exchange crypto for another currency, you may be required to pay fees to an exchange facilitating the transaction. Transaction fees fluctuate due to cryptocurrency market conditions and other factors. These fees are not set by Norton.

In other words:

Nono see it's a "feature made available" and then they just *happen* to collect a 15% mining fee while also making money by verifying the process they just forcibly facilitated for you on the blockchain, which is a totally innocent and trustworthy use of blockchain! https://t.co/JBEnJCeiyx — Dunkin Idahonuts (@thomdunn) January 4, 2022

FAQ: Norton Crypto

Image: Public Domain via PxHere
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[1] URL: https://boingboing.net/2022/01/05/norton-anti-virus-can-now-hijack-your-computer-for-cryptomining.html
[2] URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/deed.en_US

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