An Inside Look at Norton 360’s Built-in Cryptomining Tool

Norton 360 users should be aware the company’s antivirus software contains a cryptomining tool.  There has been a public outcry for the company to remove the cryptomining component as it chews up electricity and memory.

What is the Norton Cryptomining Feature all About?
 

The new Norton 360 cryptomining feature has digital security specialists confused.  Some cybersecurity professionals question why Norton didn’t make the presence of the cryptomining tool perfectly clear to customers.  Others in the cybersecurity industry are wondering why Norton is using customers’ computers to venture into the crypto foray.   The antivirus software’s cryptomining feature mines Ethereum on users’ computers when those machines are idle.  The tool empowers Norton 360 users to have a private crypto wallet and keep 85% of the crypto mined by their devices.  Norton receives the remaining 15% in the form of a commission.  Though this imbalance in favor of the computer owner certainly seems like a benevolent gesture on Norton’s behalf, the potential earnings from crypto mining are significantly offset when the cost of electricity is factored in. 

Why is There an Outcry Against the Cryptomining Tool? 

  
Cybersecurity professionals insist Norton is alienating its customer base by including the cryptomining tool in its antivirus program.  The company does not explicitly advertise the presence of the Ethereum mining tool.  Nor has Norton’s brass detailed how much electricity the cryptomining tool uses when a computer is idle.  Add in the fact that the Norton executives have not provided a guide for uninstalling the mining tool, and there is even more reason for concern. 
 

What is Norton’s Response to the Complaints?   
 

Norton’s public relations team has responded to the concern over its cryptomining tool by simply stating the product helps to make cryptomining as safe as possible.  It must be noted the cryptomining tool is a cloud-based feature launched in the summer of ’21.  The public backlash against Norton might eventually force the company to remove the feature.   
  
Norton representatives also went out of their way to highlight the fact that the cryptomining feature is opt-in, meaning it must be enabled before it begins mining crypto.  The company’s representatives also state customer devices must meet specific criteria to operate the cryptomining feature.  As an example, the computer must have 6 GB of memory and a graphics card made by NVIDIA. 
 

Can the Feature be Disabled? 
  

According to Norton, if the Norton Crypto feature is activated and the user desires to disabled it, he or she merely has to temporarily turn off the tamper protection.  Tamper protection empowers users to alter the installation of Norton.  Norton representatives have also stated the NCrypt.exe extension must also be removed from the computer to fully remove Norton Crypto and permanently halt mining on the computing device.   
  
However, the average computer user finds such directions confusing, simply because the terms used above are technically complex.  Add in the fact that there is the potential for the hike in electricity use to offset any potential gain through cryptomining, and there is even more reason for consumers to immediately deactivate Norton Crypto upon purchase.  A Norton representative attempted to defuse the uproar regarding the program’s hike in electricity consumption, pointing to how NortonLifeLock is a Crypto Climate Accord signatory and also a participant in the global environmental organization Ceres that strives for a sustainable future.