In a world that is mainly reliant on digital solutions, cyber crimes are increasing by the day. Hence most people are left with no option but to leverage protection with a reliable antivirus solution that offers unmatched protection. Evidently, Norton, the popular antivirus solution, was the first choice for many.
Recently, the use of cryptocurrencies has skyrocketed with more awareness about the technology among people. Norton decided to capitalize on this opportunity with the launch of Norton Crypto in July 2021.
But recent revelations confirm that the Norton Crypto software, along with a crypto mining application called “NCrypt.exe,” is installed in users’ computers without their consent.
So what’s that all about, and how do you uninstall this hard-to-get-rid-of application? Let’s find out!
How Did This News Come To Light?
Norton has long sustained the reputation for being one of the most reliable antivirus solutions available in the market. But unfortunately, this reputation hit recently following the news about the unauthorized installation of the NCrypt.exe in users’ systems. The news came out when a software user took it to the micro-blogging website Twitter to highlight the issue.
On the 31st of December 2021, the user highlighted that Norton installed a crypto miner called Norton Crypto (NCrypt.exe) on end users’ systems. But the issue here is the company should have bothered to seek the user’s consent before installing the miner.
The user further added in a follow-up tweet that there is no way to prevent the solution from installing the NCrypt.exe program on the system. The user said that one has to physically delete the NCrypt.exe program from the system, yet there is no guarantee that the program will return with an update or that third parties will find ways to exploit it.
What Is The Norton Crypto All About?
The news about the Norton Crypto came to light in June 2021. The company announced the Norton crypto mining program was an easy way for software users to earn a couple of extra bucks.
Norton users could earn a bit with their otherwise idle-sitting graphic cards. The NCrypt.exe program mines Ethereum and provides users with 85% of the total mined crypto while 15% remains with the company as a commission.
This first seemed like a simple program that did not harm anyone. But as people became more aware, with experts highlighting more issues, more concerns began to surface. This resulted in a massive condemnation of Norton.
Following these developments, Norton announced that the tool was off by default. This means the Norton Crypto program is an opt-in feature and is not enabled without the user’s consent. The statement further highlighted that users could uninstall or disable the program if they were not interested in using it.
Are There Any Safety Risks Associated With Crypto Mining Software?
There is no denying that Norton is one of the leading and trusted antivirus solutions available in the market. However, it remains to change the fact that many users received many red flags post the update drop.
Many even highlighted that the malware detection program in their systems flagged NCrypt.exe as a RiskWare. This gave rise to many questions and concerns among Norton users.
As a result, most users wanted to eliminate the NCrypt.exe program and free their systems of any RiskWare. Many users started to find a way to remove the program only to discover the program has to be removed physically from the system.
But even this did not eliminate the risk since the program could always return with regular software updates.
Concerns Associated With Norton Crypto Mining
Norton Crypto is now a part of the company’s terms of service. When users agree to install the antivirus solution, they also agree to have the crypto mining program on their device. Of course, this may be beneficial for some, but more importantly, no one asked to install this program in the first place.
Besides that, the platform charges a hefty 15% commission along with the fee for the Norton Crypto program. Hence whatever the program mines with your graphic cards, the platform will take a 15% cut before the balance is credited to your crypto wallet.
Another important concern is the Norton Crypto FAQ section, which states that current settings come with certain limitations. This means that users can only sometimes make the adjustments that suit their preferences or requirements. According to the company, they will manage the settings in your system for the time being, but they are working on making the settings more adjustable shortly.
These constraints and inflexibilities, paired with the need for more communication about the Norton Crypto program, have led many to reconsider using even the Norton360 antivirus program.
Another important note here is that the company is not sneaking the Norton Crypto program into every device of its users. But again, this raises many concerns about the program’s reliability as a whole.
Removing The Norton Crypto Program From Your Device
As mentioned earlier, users who do not wish to have the Norton Crypto program on their computers have no option but to delete it physically. So to help you better, here are a couple of simple steps you need to follow to rid your computer of the Norton Crypto program.
- Open File Explorer on your computer.
- Select Computer or PC users from the “Devices.”
- Open your Drive C
- Select the folder named “Program Files.”
- Find the “Norton” folder and open it
- Open the “Engine” folder inside the Norton folder.
- Select the “NCrypt.exe” program, right-click on it and Delete the program.
- There might be cases where you need to run this process as an Admin.
Could Norton’s Face Value Drive Its Market Value?
Norton is one of the best antivirus solutions available in the market. But these recent revelations put a big question mark on the reliability of this platform. If you do not wish to be a Norton crypto miner, follow the abovementioned steps and uninstall the NCrypt.exe program. Consider using other antivirus solutions that do not install any crypto mining program without your consent.
Are you willing to invest in crypto tokens backed by one of the premier antivirus brands?
