Cryptocurrency extraction malware built into websites is becoming more of a problem for smartphones, but the Opera web browser is trying to eliminate the threat for its users.

Opera, which has already introduced crypto-currency miner protection in its desktop versions, is now putting the same functionality into its smartphone browsers, the company announced Monday.

The new feature will be available on Opera Mini and Opera for Android, according to a press release, and is part of the native browser blocker function.

According to the press release:

"The new anti-cryptocurrency mining feature is enabled by default when you enable the Opera Mini (iOS and Android) or Opera for Android ad blocker.The ad blocker can be enabled by going in "Settings", and it will automatically detect and stop the extraction scripts written in the code of a web page. "

Opera estimates that more than a billion devices in the world are being slowed down by cryptocurrency miners based on a website that users do not realize are "encrypting" their browsers. On the other side of the browsing experience, the company estimates that there are now more than 3 million websites with integrated cryptocurrency miners.

It is difficult for users to know that there is a problem, but it may be that no visual indicator indicates that a minor is using a web browser, according to the # 39; company.

Cryptocurrency miners can overload the processors of smartphones, forcing 100% usage and potentially causing overheating of a phone.

And the damage can sometimes be permanent. According to an article in ZDNet, a Trojan horse generated so much heat in a phone, its battery became swollen, permanently damaging the phone. While excessive advertisements were one of the reasons for heat generation, the main cause was that the phone's processor had been hijacked to exploit Monero.

The Trojan was so effective that it "destroyed the phone within 48 hours," according to the article.

The new Opera feature is already available, and the browser can be downloaded from the Google Play Store, according to the release.

Image of Opera via Shutterstock

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