Opera pre-installs new anti-mining measure in its ad blocker

The development team of the popular Opera browser has fulfilled its previously voiced plans on anti-mining software and integrated a new feature in its own advertisement blocker. The ad blocker can be activated through the “Settings” menu, remind the developers in the announcement dedicated to this new tool.

Opera has made it clear in the past that its programmers would not sit idly and that they would come up with something efficient to block mining viruses or malvertising, as some cyber security websites already call this threat.

Mining viruses have various iterations: some take control of a server through access breaches, some disseminate via mobile applications, and this particular kind Opera has learned to block is using the resources of the infected device only as long as the browser page or tab is opened. The problem with this type of threat is it can easily appear on quite trustworthy websites, as demonstrated by the Showtime website last year. As seen from the previous news, hackers often use Monero - this altcoin has both beneficial mining algorithm and a code which hides transactions.

One can assume that other browsers will follow in Opera’s footsteps and invent some new pre-installed measures as well. After all, every modern Internet browser regularly updates itself to have the best defence against regular viruses.