DNSChanger

A wide-spread malware known as DNSChanger has been gaining plenty of attention lately.

The DNS (Domain Name System) translates Internet domain and host names to IP addresses.  DNS automatically converts the names we type in our Web browser address bar to the IP addresses of Web servers hosting those sites.

“DNSChanger” redirects your Internet traffic to unsafe Websites by modifying your computer’s, or router’s DNS settings to point to malicious DNS servers.

When the perps behind the trojan were caught last year, the U.S. FBI oversaw replacing those DNS servers.  However, FBI servers that have been busy helping those victims of DNSChanger, will be shut down.  It was originally scheduled to occur in March, but the deadline was extended to July 9th.

“How does this affect me”?”, you ask…If your computer is infected with DNSChanger, it may lose its connection.  The FBI states that approximately 360,000 computers have been infected with DNSChanger, most of them home computers.  The FBI suggests that users can visit the DNSChanger Working Group to see if their machines have been hijacked.  However, with the deadline quickly approaching, the site has been overloaded with traffic.

A simple way to see if your computer is infected, is to run your antivirus software’s scan.  REMEMBER to make sure your antivirus software has all the updates before running the scan!  If you’ve always run the ‘quick’ scan, run the full scan.  It’s not as fast, but it runs as complete scan, where the ‘quick’ one doesn’t.

Keep in mind that no software is completely foolproof.

More information here.
http://www.theverge.com/2012/4/23/2969730/fbi-dnschanger-server-shutdown-date-july-9th

If you are worried you may have been infected, and don’t know how to check or clean your computer, give us a call.

Thanks,
Technology by Design
204-800-3165