In a move to help improve security in the crypto-sphere, Firefox has announced that all future versions of its web browser will automatically block crypto-jacking malware.
Cryptomining scripts that mine cryptocurrencies unknown to the owner of the device will be prevented from autorunning. While it may be a relatively small number of people that experience this themselves, a growing number of incidents have been reported this year. Firefox is providing a secure solution against this, which will help rid the cryptocurrency industry of the arguably undeserved stigma it has received due to negative media reports of incidents such as crypto-jacking.
The decision was made as part of Firefox’s anti-tracking initiative that goes live in the following few months. The aim is to target the negative impacts of unchecked online tracking. Future web browsers will protect users by default from this, and offer users more advanced controls over what information of theirs is shared with third parties.
In addition to blocking crypto-jacking malware, the initiative plans to prevent noticeable effects such as what it describes as ”eerily-specific targeted advertising”, as well as those that users are unable to spot such as unchecked data collection that can lead to major security breaches. Firefox cited a study that indicates a total of 55.4% of time spent loading a web page is actually spent sending information to third parties.
Opera also offers this service
The popular web browser Opera added a similar anti-crypto-jacking function to its desktop adblocker update in December last year, adding that in January it plans to include this feature in its mobile application also.
Opera has become an increasingly popular web browser of choice as earlier this month it announced plans to integrate a cryptocurrency wallet into its desktop web browser supporting a wide variety of tokens. Charles Hamel, Product Lead of Opera describes the integration as a key step in “making cryptocurrencies and Web 3.0. mainstream.”
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