Alert! Your PC may be being hijacked to mine crypto!

With the rise of cryptocurrencies, my computer started to behave strangely. Fans at full speed, inexplicable slowness... it turns out someone was using my resources to get rich! These damn mining viruses are like invisible thieves that sneak into your house while you sleep. I'm going to tell you how I discovered that I was being robbed and how you can protect yourself.

What the hell is a mining virus?

It is malicious software that sneaks into your computer to mine Bitcoin, Monero, or any coin taking advantage of YOUR processor and YOUR graphics card. It's like someone using your car to do Uber while you sleep and keeping all the money!

No, a miner itself is not a virus. It's when some asshole installs it without your permission that it becomes a threat. Experts call it "cryptojacking," I call it blatant theft.

Signs that you are being robbed

When it happened to me, I noticed:

• My PC was extremely slow, even to open a simple browser.
• The fan sounded like a plane taking off
• The temperature was rising so much that you could fry an egg on it.
• My electricity bill skyrocketed
• Rare processes appeared that consumed all my resources

How I Caught the Digital Thief

Step 1: I checked what the hell was consuming my resources

I opened Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) and saw processes with strange names sucking up 90% of my CPU. There was the culprit!

Step 2: I installed a decent antivirus

The basic antivirus didn't detect anything, of course. These viruses are clever. I had to use Malwarebytes which finally found something called "Trojan.CoinMiner" hidden in a system folder. What a parasite!

Step 3: I reviewed the startup programs

These viruses usually activate when turning on the PC. I went to msconfig and found a suspicious program that I had never installed.

Step 4: My browser was also infected

I had extensions that I didn't remember installing. The browser was consuming resources even with a simple page open.

How did this junk get into my computer?

Probably due to:

• A pirate program that I downloaded (yes, I admit it)
• A phishing email that looked legitimate
• A website I visited with malicious scripts

How I Got Rid of the Parasite

1. I killed the process from the Task Manager
2. I deleted all related files
3. I cleaned the residues with CCleaner
4. I updated EVERYTHING in my system

Don't be an idiot like me, protect yourself:

• Install a good antivirus, not the cheap free one.
• Do not download files from suspicious sites
• Keep your system updated
• Disable JavaScript on sites that are not trusted
• Use blockers like AdBlock or MinerBlock

These digital parasites are everywhere looking for unprotected computers. If you notice that your PC is running slower than usual, investigate NOW. Your computer and your electricity bill will thank you.