This is how the cryptocurrency mine found in Conalep de San Luis Potosí operated

Authorities in San Luis Potosí discovered a cryptocurrency mine on a campus at the National College of Technical Professional Education (Conalep) within the entity.

This was established following an intervention by the State Cybernetic Police to the General Directorate of the Conalep system following a complaint from the campus.

According to the authorities, an investigation kit was opened to locate those suspected of the act, in addition to the fact that a network of public officials is believed to be involved.

This intervention was carried out after the Director-General, Patricia Álvarez Escobedo, asked the government agency to analyze the area of information technology due to a problem in the operation of computer equipment.

In carrying out the investigations, Cyber Police elements found evidence of cryptocurrency mining on two computers and two servers.

Cryptocurrency mining involves the elaboration of digital currency through a complex “process of solving a mathematical problem”, according to information from the San Luis Potosí Ministry of Public Security (SSP), which cannot be solved manually.

It therefore requires a computer “or several connected to a network of block channels” with a lot of computational and energetic power. In this case, the elements of the unit found two computer equipment and two servers that were used, taking advantage of the energy of the campus system, for this activity.

Once the computer system solves the mathematical problem, cryptocurrencies are awarded as a reward.

Cryptocurrency mining, a completely digital process, requires several computers as this puzzle usually becomes more difficult as more machines are added to the network, so more power is needed to solve puzzles.

This activity is usually done by independent people who benefit from the creation of digital currencies.

Independent miners add their computational power to pools, where each one contributes a percentage of the total. When the result of the problem is discovered, the profits are distributed among all the miners involved.

These computers contained the software, hardware and configuration required for that purpose, as well as an individual portfolio where they accumulated profits.

For this reason, the authorities found the equipment still carrying out mining work using equipment and resources (electricity and internet) owned by the Conalep educational institution at all times.

Similarly, this type of activity, requiring a large amount of energy, proves to be fatal to the environment. Since in some cases computer farms are used for 24 hours, they produce an enormous amount of carbon dioxide.

With thousands of miners around the world who keep numerous computers working on solving mathematical puzzles for days on end, the pollution footprint becomes greater. It has been argued that this is comparable to the energy consumption of entire countries.

It should be mentioned that on the part of the legal area of the education system, the corresponding complaint was filed with the Office of the Attorney General of the State to determine the whereabouts and impose the corresponding sanctions on public servants, since it is presumed that millions of dollars were generated.

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