But the trouble is how ethical it is for a company to use your computer for something other than what you intended. Whether you should allow websites to use your computer to mine coins is entirely up to you. And if it is, how can you put a stop to it? Here are four ways to stop your computer from mining coins without your permission.

If you're not sure how to determine if your computer is being used to mine coins without your knowledge, make sure to read our article on detecting coin mining. This can come in the form of malicious software that is installed on a user's computer, an undetected JavaScript file that mines in the background or a pop-under window that can continue to mine coins even after the browser is closed. Of course, where there's room for a legitimate way to earn money, corruption is soon to follow.Īnti-malware software firm Malwarebytes and IT security company ESET both warned of sneaky uses of JavaScript files that use the CPU of visitors to mine cryptocurrencies without their knowledge (or explicit permission). , for example, is giving readers the option to opt out of advertisements in exchange for letting the site use their CPUs to mine Monero, a cryptocurrency that's easier to mine than Bitcoin and has a current market cap of $4.6 billion. This is becoming an alternative revenue source some websites (and people with more nefarious intentions) are banking on. Mining cryptocurrencies is a great way to earn small amounts of residual income (that could possibly be worth much more in the future).

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