Norton is synonymous with antivirus software, but the Norton 360 suite offers more than just that functionality. It now comes with Norton Crypto, a mining tool that users will not be able to uninstall. This has left many users feeling frustrated as they try to remove this unwelcome addition.
Crypto mining collates users who order new ‘blocks’ of transactions that are then added to the aptly named blockchain, earning coins and transaction fees. For maximum efficiency, people use particular hardware to mine cryptocurrency.
But this hardware usually becomes redundant in a year or two, and when coupled with energy consumption, crypto mining can be very harmful to the environment.
Norton Crypto has been designed to mine Ethereum, a currency like Bitcoin that enables the building of decentralized applications, also known as dapps. The software brings together Norton users who can then mine Ethereum collectively, allowing them to passively earn income by leaving their computer or laptop running.
This depends entirely on whether your computer can handle the mining process or it won’t run at all. While it may seem intuitive and user-friendly, despite the environmental concerns about the practice, it’s not either of the previously mentioned qualities nor is it very ethical.
When mining Ethereum, the pools tend to take a one to two percent cut, but Norton takes a whopping 15 percent. Add in the transaction fees and energy bills, and this seemingly easy-to-use software will cost you more money than you are likely to earn. By default, it comes with the software, so novice users may not know what they are walking into.
While people have been raising ethical, financial, and environmental concerns regarding cryptocurrency and NFTs, celebrities, game developers, and even storefronts have now started to jump on the bandwagon.
Konami has launched their line of NFTs for Castlevania’s 35th anniversary, Square Enix has expressed their interest, and even Stan Lee, from the grave, has tweeted about a new NFT line.
The future of NFT, cryptocurrency, and blockchain is highly uncertain, especially with various countries imposing their own forms of bans. Still, it appears to have now become a commonplace aspect of the digital sphere.
About Norton AntiVirus
Developed and distributed since 1991, Norton AntiVirus is an anti-virus/anti-malware software for computers. It uses signatures and heuristics to identify viruses. Other features included in it are e-mail spam filtering and phishing protection. It is compatible with Microsoft Windows, Linux, and macOS.
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