What happened
A Camberwell desktop was running flat out at 100% CPU and the household's electricity bill had doubled.
What we did
- Identified and removed the hidden crypto-mining process
- Scanned for anything set up to bring it back
- Explained how it probably got in: a “free software” download from a sketchy site
- Set up ad-blocking at the router so that kind of junk is filtered for every device in the house
The outcome
Problem solved, and the customer understands how to avoid it next time.
“Problem solved and I actually learned something.”
The lesson
“Free” downloads from unknown sites often carry hidden extras. A slow, hot, noisy computer is worth checking.