There has been malware that installs bots on computers for a long time. Anti-malware programs like Norton try to block them, often with success. In this case Norton is installing a bot that works for Norton. Yes, the owner of the Norton license gets most of the money, but that does not change the fact that Norton is using its customers' computers to make money via crypto mining. This is a clear conflict of interest. At the very least, the opt-in policy should be much more explicit, and the executable should not even be downloaded unless the user explicitly agrees.
The is one of the reasons I use Windows Security instead of a third-party anti-malware program. Microsoft's motivation is to protect the reputation of Windows, and that's it. The third-party tools are scrambling to make a dollar and will occasionally do this sort of drive-by install.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
