July 9 might be "Internet doomsday" for PC
and Mac users who haven't taken steps to make sure their systems are not
infected with what's being called DNSChanger malware.
That's right: Your Internet connection may not work
that day because the safety net now in place from the FBI against the malware
will be removed then, and if your computer is infected, you won't be able to
get to the Internet.
Let's back up a minute to give you some
quick background. Last fall, theFBI arrested six Estonian nationals who were charged with using malware
and rogue DNS servers to hijack millions of computers worldwide.
At that time, Trend Micro's Feike Hacquebord
called it the "biggest cybercriminal takedown in
history." The company was one of several that worked with
the FBI on the takedown, and described the scheme:
A variety of methods of monetizing the DNSChanger
botnet [are] being used by criminals, including replacing advertisements on
websites that are loaded by victims, hijacking of search results and pushing
additional malware.
FBI
Because the malware is so nasty — it's strong
enough to wipe out a computer's anti-virus software — the FBI set up a safety net using government
computers to prevent any Internet disruptions for users whose computers
may be infected.
That safety net was set to go away in February, but
the date has been extended to July 9 because the agency is concerned that not
enough users are aware of the problem.
To assist victims affected by the DNSChanger malicious
software, the FBI obtained a court order authorizing the Internet Systems
Consortium (ISC) to deploy and maintain temporary clean DNS servers. This
solution is temporary, providing additional time for victims to clean affected
computers and restore their normal DNS settings. The clean DNS servers will be
turned off on July 9, 2012, and computers still impacted by DNSChanger may lose
Internet connectivity at that time.
So, what do you need to do? Make sure your computer is
clean. You can do that first, by visiting this FBI-backed website, DNS-OK, which will
tell you whether your computer is infected with DNSChanger malware.
The FBI says that if you see green, that's good. Red
means you're infected. Still, the bureau notes, some systems that appear to be
clean may appear that way because of their service provider: "If your
ISP is redirecting DNS traffic for its customers, you would have reached this
site even though you are infected."
So the next step, definitely if you're
"red," but even a good idea if you're "green," is to go
to this site, run by the DNS Changer
Working Group. The DNS Changer Working Group will detect whether your computer
has been "violated," and if so, will point you to the right fix
for your computer.
The sooner you do this, the better. You don't
want to wait until July 9 to chance an "Internet doomsday" happening.
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