NortonLifeLock (formerly Symantec Corporation), behind the popular Norton 360 antivirus, is adding Ethereum mining to its software. This is supposed to help “protect” users from malware.
The new feature is called “Norton Crypto” and will be available to Norton 360 users participating in the testers program from today. All other clients will be connected to it in the coming weeks. When you turn on Norton Crypto, the antivirus will use the computer’s video card to mine ether, and then move it to the Norton wallet in the cloud storage.
NortonLifeLock does not explain whether users will mine the cryptocurrency independently or in a pool to increase the chances of success, but the screenshot provided supports the second option. In this case, the company will also be able to charge a commission for organizing the pool, which will become an additional source of income for it.
“The cryptocurrency economy is becoming an increasingly important part of our clients’ lives. We would like to give them the ability to mine cryptocurrency with Norton, because they trust this brand, ”said Vincent Pillett, CEO of NortonLifeLock.
The company also claims that when using conventional mining software, users are forced to sacrifice their security and may even suffer from ransomware. In addition, storing the mined cryptocurrency on the hard drive entails additional risks of its loss, she adds.
“We are proud to be the first cybersecurity company to offer miners the ability to reliably and easily turn idle hardware into digital currency. With Norton Crypto, our customers will be able to mine cryptocurrency in a few clicks and bypass many barriers to entry in the cryptocurrency ecosystem, ”said Gagan Singh, COO of NortonLifeLock.
Users have already expressed doubts about the performance of systems that, together with an antivirus that independently creates a large load, will use the miner. In addition, it is unclear how the Norton miner will affect Intel’s Threat Detection Technology (TDT) and Microsoft Defender.
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