Internet Blackout for Thousands Coming Monday
By Erin Kim @CNNMoneyTech
July 6, 2012
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Hundreds of thousands of Internet users whose computers are infected with a particularly nasty virus will be unable to access the Web starting on Monday.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation will shut down Internet servers that it temporarily set up to support those affected by malicious software, called DNSChanger. Turning off those servers will knock all those still infected offline.
Over the past five years, a group of six Estonian cybercriminals infected about 4 million computers around the world with DNSChanger. The malware redirected infected users' Web searches to spoofed sites with malicious advertisements.
In November 2011, the FBI and some overseas partners arrested those responsible, commandeered their servers, and attempted to warn those affected to get rid of the virus.
The FBI did not immediately take down the rogue servers, as infected computers would have lost Internet access, an FBI spokesman said.
To remedy the problem, the FBI had the nonprofit Internet Systems Consortium set up temporary servers. That way, computer owners would have time to get rid of their malware.
he servers were supposed to be shut down in March, but hundreds of thousands remained infected. Nearly 304,000 computers worldwide (about 70,000 in the United States) still had the virus in mid-June, according to the FBI's latest report. That's a large number, but it's a very small subset of the 1.6 billion PCs worldwide, of which an estimated 339 million are in the United States.
Still, the FBI decided to give people even more time to check for the malware, extending the deadline until July. The agency now says the time has come to cut the cord, and the emergency servers will be shut down on Monday.
Full story and video: http://money.cnn.com/2012/07/06/technol ... /index.htm
Starting Monday, YOU may lose your internet access
- Gaybutton
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Re: Starting Monday, YOU may lose your internet access
To check if your computer is infected, go to the following site. It will check for you.
http://www.dns-ok.us/
http://www.dns-ok.us/
Re: Starting Monday, YOU may lose your internet access
So who lost his internet. Less than 1 I bet. Next on the alert...Dec 21.2012
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Re: Starting Monday, YOU may lose your internet access
Haven't you heard? The Dec. 21, 2012 prediction has been canceled.