Even though many individuals and companies shun cryptocurrencies, there are some unusual options to unlock. For example, Norton, known for its antivirus and firewall solutions, is introducing Ethereum mining. The Norton 360 antivirus suite can mine Ether during a computer’s idle cycles.
Mining Ethereum With Norton
It is unusual to see an antivirus program support cryptocurrency mining. In recent years, all antivirus tools have tried to block crypto mining software over fears it might harm the target machine. While that is not the case, there have been numerous malicious mining tools to be aware of. Today, things are slightly different, at least where Norton’s antivirus suite is concerned.
According to NortonLifelock, the goal is to use a computer’s idle cycles to begin mining Ethereum. An interesting approach, although it is only accessible to Norton’s Early Adopter Program members. Through this feature, subscribers can get early access to new features ahead of the public. The option to begin mining Ethereum is one such feature, although it remains unclear if this will prove a successful venture.
One can understand what Norton attempts to do by introducing this feature. Given the sheer number of malicious applications users can seek out, offering them a legitimate alternative may be the better option to explore. Moreover, Norton antivirus can mine this cryptocurrency without turning the software off altogether, which isn’t all too common. Whether it is worth exploring this option will depend on personal preferences.
As there are over 50 million Norton antivirus users today, this option can introduce many benefits. That is, assuming the user has access to an NVIDIA 1050 3GB or better and is a member of the EAP. Furthermore, through the “Turn your PC’s idle time into cash” feature, users can begin mining ETH after granting the software the necessary permissions. However, the software will utilize up to 100% of your GPU for this process, which may create a lot of noise and electricity usage.
Is It Worth It?
That question is never easy to answer on behalf of other people. In the current version, Norton antivirus appears to mine Ethereum whenever GPU usage is low. Even while gaming and turning settings down – or playing on a lower resolution – it is not uncommon to see the antivirus begin mining Ether all of a sudden. It is unclear if this is a visual error or an actual software bug; however, thus caution remains advised.
There are also some concerns as to whether Norton antivirus mines solo or through a mining pool. A test by BleepingComputer indicates the software seems to generate Ether. Norton may have its own mining pool for this particular purpose, although that has not been confirmed yet. The mining occurs through a pool, but no further details about this aspect are known today.
Speaking of which, the current version of Norton’s crypto mining charges a 15% fee on all payments. That amount is ludicrous and will need to be reduced significantly. The industry average is below 2%, thus charging a 15% fee is bonkers. Assuming this fee comes down in the future, this option may prove more competitive and appealing. Today, it is best left ignored.
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