McAfee Chief Consumer Security Officer: Do not use personal computers for mining and provide three safety suggestions

Gary Davis, chief consumer security officer at McAfee, a well-known antivirus software development company, advises that using a personal computer (PC) for mining is very dangerous. In addition to consuming a lot of computing power and electricity, it is also very easy to be hijacked by malicious crypto mining software (cryptojack).

Currently, mining on personal computers usually requires the use of web mining network tools, and some hackers and illegal enterprises are infecting unsuspecting computers and then mining remotely without the user's knowledge. It is reported that more than 1 billion devices around the world may have been hijacked by malicious crypto mining software.

Last week, Apple also removed an app from its App Store that was suspected of secretly mining without user consent (although the app was put back on the shelves after the developer deleted the mining code).

To ensure you’re not unknowingly mining cryptocurrency, Gary Davis offers three tips:

1. Be especially sensitive when using public Wi-Fi networks, whether in schools, cafes, bus stops, etc. Public Wi-Fi networks can be easily hacked, and then your computer information can be stolen and hijacked by malicious crypto-mining software.

2. Security updates. All your devices (including mobile phones and personal computers) should be protected with the latest security software.

3. Virtual Private Network. When using a public network, you can try to use a virtual private network software to hide your personal information and ensure that the data can be encrypted when sending information on some unsafe websites, which will make it difficult for your computer to be hijacked by malicious crypto mining software.