DNSChanger Malware Set to Knock Thousands Off Internet on Monday

Thousands of PCs worldwide may be unable to access the Internet beginning July 9 unless those machines are rid of the pernicious DNSChanger malware that first surfaced in 2007. The Federal Bureau of Investigation helped shut down the criminal ring responsible for DNSChanger in late 2011. The federal agency then briefly handled the Internet Domain Name System routing for all infected Mac and Windows systems.

This is what my ISP sent me back in May:

Users of Windows PC and Macs alike have until July 9, 2012, to check and see if they’ve been infected with malware called DNS Changer and, if so, disinfect their computers. After that, the FBI will throw a switch that prevents infected computers from accessing the Internet.

What’s going on here? It all began 2007, when DNS Changer surfaced and infected millions of machines. (To give you some background, the DNS system is a network of servers that translates a website address into the numerical addresses that computers use.) DNS Changer reprogrammed victim computers to use rogue DNS servers owned by the attackers. This allowed the attackers to redirect computers to hacker-created websites, and also prevented computers from updating or using anti-virus software, leaving them vulnerable to other threats.)

Last November, the FBI arrested six Estonian nationals that allegedly ran the fraud, and seized the rogue DNS servers. The FBI put up surrogate servers in place of the malicious ones, but only temporarily. After July 9, those servers will shut down, preventing infected computers from reaching the Internet since they’ll be trying to redirect through servers that no longer exist.

To find out if your computer is infected and how to address the problem, visit https://forms.fbi.gov/check-to-see-if-your-computer-is-using-rogue-DNS and click on “Check Your DNS.” Also be sure to update and run your current security software. If you need assistance, please contact us for security software recommendations.

You’ll find additional information on DNS Changer at these links:
www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2011/november/malware_110911/DNS-changer-malware.pdf
www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/04/23/hundreds-thousands-may-lose-internet-in-july
www.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2012-04-20/internet-woes-infected-pcs/54446044/1?csp=hf

I see nothing for IOS 5.1.1 or IPad, Iphone, etc. Any word on that?

Great catch...and good question. I'm not comfortable going to ANY site, especially government run, to check my computer out. From everything I've read, if you have a good firewall and anti-virus protection, you're probably good. Also, not doing boneheaded things like signing up for “you've won a such and such” should keep you in the clear.

Personally, I am with a lot of other folks who believe this is a load of crap with a dash of nefarious added.

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