Warning! Internet Shutdown-9th July - DNS CHANGER.
By Tranquilpen, 31st May 2012 | Follow this author
| RSS Feed | Short URL http://nut.bz/11uy4heo/
Posted in WikinutNewsCrime
Unsuspecting users were being redirected to rogue servers by a virus called among other names, DNS CHANGER which was being controlled by a network of cyber thieves, allowing them to manipulate users’ web activity.
- Millions Of Computers Infected Worldwide
- Fake Webpages
- Computers Seized By Authorities
- Operating As Regular Business
- Useful Links To Check Your PC's And Laptops
- Conclusion
Millions Of Computers Infected Worldwide
Operation Ghost Click, is what the two-year, cyber-criminal investigation program, conducted by the FBI, is called. It is an elaborate, DNSChanger scheme which has infected several millions of computers worldwide. The users are typically quite unaware of the malware infestation taking place, and the vulnerability leaves them open to various other malicious attacks.
Fake Webpages
When people using infected computers, click on the link for the official website of for example iTunes, they are instead, taken to an unaffiliated website for business, that pretended to be selling Apple software. The cyber thieves did not only make money from these schemes, they also deprived legitimate advertisers and website operators of substantial revenue.
Computers Seized By Authorities
Yesterday, six cyber criminals were arrested in Estonia by local authorities, and the U.S. is now seeking to extradite them. The U.S. authorities also seized computers and rogue DNS servers in conjunction with these arrests at various locations. These rogue DNS servers have been replaced with legitimate servers as part of a federal court order in the hopes that users who were infected will not have their Internet access disrupted.
Operating As Regular Business
The criminal masterminds netted at least 14 million dollars by manipulating the Internet advertising industry. One agent working on the case stated, “They were organized and operating as a traditional business but profiting illegally as the result of the malware. There is a level of complexity here that we have not seen before.”
Useful Links To Check Your PC's And Laptops
Take note, that replacement servers will not remove the DNS Changer malware or DNS—or other viruses it may have facilitated—from infected computers. Any users believing their computers to be infected, should contact a computer professional urgently.
Use the links below to see if your computer is infected:
United States: http://www.dns-ok.us/
Europe: http://dns-changer.eu/
Australia: http://dns-ok.gov.au/
Conclusion
If your system is in the clear, then no other action is required. If your system is in infected, the FBI advises users to contact a computer professional for removal assistance. It is a rootkit virus, so installing or running anti-virus software will not fix the issue. Average users will not likely have the technical knowledge to remove this on their own.
Additional information can be found at this link: http://sanitywatch.blogspot.com/
Information about how to register as a victim of the DNS Changer malware and, also the FBI’s Office for Victim Assistance which will provide case updates periodically at 877-236-8947.
Source:
http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2011/november/malware_110911
http://facecrooks.com/Internet-Safety-Privacy/350000-internet-users-could-lose-web-access-on-july-9-are-you-one-of-them.html
Do you have a newsworthy article? why not publish it here on wikinut.com
Comments
31st May 2012 (#)
Thank you for nice sharing of information.
Reply to this comment
31st May 2012 (#)
It's a pleasure Rezaul, tell your friends to take precautions to protect their computers, as after the 9th July 2012 their PC's may not work.
Reply to this comment
31st May 2012 (#)
Thank you for the tip.
Reply to this comment
4th Jun 2012 (#)
You are most welcome. Thank you for reading.
Reply to this comment
31st May 2012 (#)
Thanks for the warning and guidance, TP. There are so many novices who fall victims and end up paying for their ignorance and trust. We should show no mercy to these criminals - siva
Reply to this comment
4th Jun 2012 (#)
Hello Siva, you are right off course my friend and that is why I place such articles, to warn the unsuspecting users of the Internet.
Reply to this comment
2nd Jun 2012 (#)
fabulous Andre,,,many thanks and my computer seems ok...green!!! namaste
Reply to this comment
4th Jun 2012 (#)
Good show Carolan, please warn others as well. Thank you for reading my dear:-)) X
Reply to this comment
3rd Jun 2012 (#)
Thanks for the valuable information. I checked our computer and it is okay...green.
Have a great night!
Reply to this comment
4th Jun 2012 (#)
I'm so pleased Noreen, please tell your friends as several hundreds of thousands are still in danger of being irreparably damaged by this malicious virus.
Reply to this comment
17th Jun 2012 (#)
What about regular users like me in India? Could you suggest a way out pl?
Reply to this comment
17th Jun 2012 (#)
GV, just go over to this link and read the article what you can do in India: http://sanitywatch.blogspot.com/
Reply to this comment