By Charles Miller
Cyptojacking is the process by which someone can use your computer and your electric power to mine for Bitcoins or other cryptocurrencies which they, and not you, get to keep. Almost overnight, cryptojacking has become the preferred method some cybercriminals are using to monetize their viruses and malware. If they can sneak cryptomining software into enough computers, the payoff can be big. I have staked out the rather controversial position that cyptojacking is not necessarily a bad thing so long as it involves informed consent. I was joined in that opinion, or at least was for a while, by none other than Apple.
The back story goes like this. A few years ago, a software developer named Qbix created an app for macOS called “Calendar 2.” A new and unique innovation of Calendar 2 was that users had the option to pay US$18 to license the program or to use it for free if they agreed to allow the program to do cryptomining. Apple looked over Calendar 2 and agreed that the app met all the company’s programming standards and requirements for disclosure. The app then was made available in the Apple Store.
Apparently, a lot of people liked Calendar 2 and opted not to pay, but to permit cryptomining, because in the first three days after the app went on sale, Qbix was able to earn about US$2,000 worth of cryptocurrency. Just for reference, Qbix had made about US$100,000 per year over previous years selling other apps, so this legitimate use of cryptomining was projected to be a significant financial windfall for the company.
Everyone seemed happy until Apple suddenly reversed its position and decided to pull Calendar 2 out of the App Store. The reason given was Apple’s programmer guideline number 2.4.2 that states, “Apps should not rapidly drain battery, generate excessive heat, or put unnecessary strain on device resources.” Qbix quickly was back with an updated Calendar 2 paid-only version in which the cryptomining option was removed.
With this decision, Apple has now taken the stance that no apps will be allowed into the Apple Store that mine cryptocurrency. This is not because Calendar 2 was a bad idea, from a financial view it clearly was a good idea, but perhaps one that was ahead of its time.
Because it is now known to be technologically possible to harness the excess computing power of millions of computers to mine for cryptocurrencies, this is now the genie that cannot be put back into the bottle. Apple banned cryptomining from the Apple ecosystem not because it is a bad idea but maybe is one for which the world is not yet ready.
In the future I hope all computer operating systems such as Windows and MacOS will be rewritten to monitor all installed programs and apps for cryptomining usage. When your computer can tell you that a program uses X percent of your resources and will add exactly some number of dollars to your electric bill, users will be able to make an informed decision. For some users that decision will be in favor of allowing cryptomining, for others not.
Charles Miller is a freelance computer consultant, a frequent visitor to San Miguel since 1981 and now practically a full-time resident. He may be contacted at 415-101-8528 or email FAQ8@SMAguru.com.
