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FBI: Will You Lose Your Internet Access Monday?

Here's how to check if you have this malware on your computer.

 

If you still have a pesky trojan malware on your computer by Monday, July 9, say goodbye to your Internet access, the FBI warns. Both Windows and Mac users are at risk; Linux users and smart phone and tablet users are safe, Forbes reports.

The specific trojan malware, or "malicious software," is known as “DNS Changer,” which was discovered in 2007 and infected millions of computers globally.

Visit the DNS Changer Working Group’s website to see if your computer is infected and to find out how to remove the malware.

So how did the DNS Changer claw its way into millions of computers?

Every time you search the Internet, you trigger the Domain Name System, which turns a domain name like Westborough.Patch.com into an Internet Protocol (IP) address so other computers can identify you on the network, basically your computer’s GPS for the internet.

The malware DNS servers would change your search to give fake answers and promote fake and dangerous products, according to the DNS Changer Working Group, the organization created to monitor the malware and help infected users.

The FBI worked with Estonian police to seize the servers that contained the spamming malware, but didn’t shut them down so the infected computers could still run, Forbes reported.

However, the FBI has decided to stop running these servers to spare costs, meaning everyone with the malware will lose internet. 

Related Topics: malware
Have you checked to see if you have the malware on your computer? Tell us in the comments.

Ron Goodenow

1:15 pm on Friday, July 6, 2012

As one who can be very suspicious of these checks and fixes I would urge everyone to do this. It only takes a few seconds. You may get a busy server, but just ask your browser to reconnect and you should be checked out quickly. Probably took me a total of three minutes to do three computers. While I'm at it, let me suggest you get a good free malware protector like Malwareabytes (Google it). It will add a good layer of protection. We've had attacks in our house and have paid the price in terms of having to reinstall system and application software.

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Susan Manning

2:25 pm on Friday, July 6, 2012

Thanks Ron! I checked my laptop after Danielle, our associate regional editor, had to deal with our help desk to fix hers! Took me maybe 3 minutes!

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Cynthia Cox

9:25 pm on Sunday, July 8, 2012

Thanks for the courtesy on this.....I had a problem with malware once a few months ago, and it cost me to get help cleaning it off. My email would not show text, everything was put in attachments, and I always had empty body content, and could not see any graphics.

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