If your computer is suddenly unable to connect to the Internet today, it could be infected by a malware known as DNSChanger.
This malware, which has been around since 2007, changes your computer's domain name system (DNS) settings so that they send you to fake DNS servers, which then redirect your Web site requests to malicious ones in order to get your personal information.
DNS servers are an important part of the Internet infrastructure. They are akin to an Internet directory that translates Web site URLs understood by humans to the IP addressesused by computers.
While this malware has been identified and the scammers caught, there are still infected computers that are being hijacked by the rogue servers. The US government has created a temporary fix that further redirected these systems to the proper servers.
If you're wondering why this issue has cropped up now, it is because this temporary reprieve, along with the rogue servers, are being shut down permanently today. Hence, if you computer remains infected, it would not be able to go on the Internet.
Although the number of infected systems is estimated to be around 330,000 at the end of May, it's unlikely to have much impact. Internet service providers in the US, where up to 64,000 computers could be affected, claim to have called and emailed customers about the malware.
You can check if your computer is infected by going to the DNSChanger Working Group Web site. It also includes a list of free tools that can be downloaded to remove the malware. Other measures include installing the latest cybersecurity suite from any reputable vendor.
This malware, which has been around since 2007, changes your computer's domain name system (DNS) settings so that they send you to fake DNS servers, which then redirect your Web site requests to malicious ones in order to get your personal information.
DNS servers are an important part of the Internet infrastructure. They are akin to an Internet directory that translates Web site URLs understood by humans to the IP addressesused by computers.
While this malware has been identified and the scammers caught, there are still infected computers that are being hijacked by the rogue servers. The US government has created a temporary fix that further redirected these systems to the proper servers.
If you're wondering why this issue has cropped up now, it is because this temporary reprieve, along with the rogue servers, are being shut down permanently today. Hence, if you computer remains infected, it would not be able to go on the Internet.
Although the number of infected systems is estimated to be around 330,000 at the end of May, it's unlikely to have much impact. Internet service providers in the US, where up to 64,000 computers could be affected, claim to have called and emailed customers about the malware.
You can check if your computer is infected by going to the DNSChanger Working Group Web site. It also includes a list of free tools that can be downloaded to remove the malware. Other measures include installing the latest cybersecurity suite from any reputable vendor.
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