Novpop.exe is an executable file associated with crypto-jacking or crypto-mining malware. These types of threats have grown in popularity among cybercriminals over the past several years.
Crypto-jacking refers to the practice of gaining access to and using a computer’s resources to mine any cryptocurrency, without the device owner’s knowledge or consent. As cryptocurrency has continued to grow in popularity, so too have crypto-jacking threats.
Should you notice that the Novpop.exe process is running on your computer, you should examine the device for any suspicious behavior, such as the process taking up exorbitant amounts of CPU or GPU resources, it’s association with unfamiliar applications, or other strange behavior including it possibly starting up on its own.
If the process in question exhibits the mentioned characteristics, you should consider the possibility that it could be part of a crypto-miner infection that has hijacked the infected system’s resources to mine a specific cryptocurrency – Monero, DarkCoin. or others. As a result, your computer could be left with limited resources and become unstable, experiencing slowdowns, freezes, or even critical errors.
A crypto-miner installed on your computer may be associated with excessive heat due to constant utilization. As a result, this could lead to permanent hardware damage because if your cooling system is not sufficient, the excessive heat results in various malfunctions and reduced hardware lifespan.
How Do I Deal with a Crypto-jacker Attack?
If you suspect that a crypto-jacking infection is running on your computer, you should scan for and remove it along with any other unwanted software by leveraging a reputable malware remediation tool. To prevent the installation of similar malware in the future, you should practice good web surfing habits like avoiding questionable freeware sites, torrent pages, and other websites that may host unreliable software.