Microsoft now requires users to obtain a written pre-approval from the firm in order to use Microsoft Azure for mining cryptocurrencies.
Microsoft, a leader in cloud computing, is taking action to improve the stability of its cloud services by imposing additional limitations on activities like cryptocurrency mining.
According to a Dec. 15 story from the British technology news outlet The Register, Microsoft has covertly stopped crypto mining from its online services to better safeguard its users and clouds.
The business added the new limitations as part of the terms of its Microsoft Online Services universal license. On December 1, the technology corporation clarified in an update to their acceptable usage policy that “mining cryptocurrency is prohibited without prior Microsoft approval.”
Microsoft stated that customers must now seek a formal pre-approval from the firm in order to utilize any of its online services for cryptocurrency mining in the “Acceptable Use Policy” section.
According to reports, the technology corporation mentioned that its most recent crypto mining limits are intended to safeguard online services from threats including cybercrime, assaults, and illegal access to user resources.
“We made this change to further protect our customers and mitigate the risk of disrupting or impairing services in the Microsoft Cloud”.
The business reportedly added that it might take into account getting authorization to mine cryptocurrency for security detection testing and research.
Microsoft Online Services, a part of the company’s software as a service strategy, is its hosted software product. One of these services is the Microsoft Azure cloud computing network, which offers bitcoin mining for several subscription kinds.
As was previously reported, Microsoft also tested out blockchain services on Azure, but in September of last year, the project was unceremoniously ended. Some reports claim that due to ongoing supply-chain constraints, Microsoft cloud computing systems have experienced significant capacity shortages in recent years.
It is rumored that the number of Azure data centers will continue to be restricted until the beginning of 2023. By implementing the new limitations, Microsoft joins a large number of other cloud computing services, such as Google, which also forbids users from mining cryptocurrencies without first receiving written consent from Google.
Cloud mining is absolutely prohibited on some platforms, such as Oracle, while Digital Ocean also demands explicit authorization. Utilizing a remote datacenter with shared computing power, cloud mining is an alternate strategy for investing in cryptocurrencies that enables users to mine digital coins without using mining hardware or equipment.
Because consumers don’t have to pay for the equipment and associated fees, cloud mining is one of the most lucrative ways to mine cryptocurrency, according blockchain research organization Blockchain Council. The report comes despite the cryptocurrency mining business suffering through a huge crisis linked to the current cryptocurrency winter, with several miners being on the edge of bankruptcy due to insufficient cash.
