Norton has added crypto mining software to its antivirus suite. This is costing it a lot of criticism as users feel that it is being installed on the computer without their permission. Others doubt whether the nycrypt.exe process stays active in the background consuming a lot of resources.
To clarify various aspects of this controversy, we have consulted reliable sources to try to clarify the facts. Is it true that Norton does not warn about the installation of the cryptocurrency mining program? Does it stay active without the user expressing their consent? Is it profitable to use this feature? Let’s see what the tests reveal
What Users Say
The Norton community forums have been fuming for a few days due to the arrival of Norton Crypto. For example, one user claims that stopping the mining program crashed their PC and “caused a blue screen.” He adds: “When I disconnect from the internet while the miner is running, I get spam with the error attached that doesn’t go away, I have to restart the PC to stop it from appearing.” Doesn’t look good, does it?
Additionally, there are those who comment that the performance problems since the last update have worsened. Without going any further, user JP_in_Europe writes: “For a couple of days, if not weeks, I’ve been noticing a lot of performance issues on my PC, particularly when online. Now it seems that Norton is the cause of it, taking advantage of my PC for crypto mining.”
These two comments are a sample of what some users are reporting. In their experience, the arrival of crypto mining in Norton is making their computers run worse and causing serious errors. Now, what does the company say?
What Norton Says
It doesn’t seem that Norton tries to hide its mining function too much. For example, it has a generous FAQ section on the official antivirus page. It explains that this function will never be activated without the user’s permission and that, furthermore, it will only be available if the computer on which it is to be executed is compatible. This last fact quite limits the range of action of Norton Crypto.
On the other hand, the company itself has confirmed that the ncrypt.exe executable can be completely removed. It is enough to disable the anti-virus tamper protection feature. In short, those responsible for Norton ensure that its cryptomining function will never be activated automatically and that it is limited to those users with very specific hardware. This transparency has not been seen in the installation process, since Norton Crypto is installed “in secret”, without giving too many explanations.
Is It Profitable To Mine Cryptocurrencies With Norton?
Not. Popular tech outlet The Verge took a test to see how cost-effective this new Norton feature is . Thanks to an electricity consumption meter, they verified that, with the current difficulty of mining a block and the price of Ethereum, in a full night mining they spent the same as they earned. They did it with an RTX 3060 Ti that managed to generate $0.66. The electricity consumed had the same cost. What is eaten is what is served, as they say.
Remember that of the entire process, Norton takes 15%. Therefore, the party that really benefits is the company responsible for the antivirus. If many users start this process, the profits for Norton will most likely be very juicy.
