Some time ago we mentioned that Microsoft Edge contains bloatware. If you thought that was bad, wait until today's news. Norton 360 installs one crypto miner on users' computers, called Norton Crypto.
How can an antivirus vendor resort to such practices? The product is supposed to prevent the installation and execution of such programs. Well, this one mode it appears to be legit, and the company mentions it in the FAQ. It was first announced last year, and Norton explains how it works Norton Crypto.
The security company describes Norton Crypto as a "feature" that will use your computer to extract cryptocurrencies when Norton 360 detects that the system is idle. The settings will be managed by Norton.
Norton Crypto is available in all packages. The currency extracted by the software is Ethereum, and Norton creates a digital wallet for each user before they start mining. The company states that the digital wallet key is only available to that user, is encrypted and stored in the cloud. Users can transfer the contents of their digital wallets to Coinbase, so they can make withdrawals.
But this mining opportunity is free. Norton will charge users 15% of the user earned, while transferring cryptocurrency (to Coinbase) between blockchain networks could also incur additional charges.
