Politics & Government

FBI: Are You One of 300,000 Who Could Lose Internet Access?

If you have this malware on your computer, don't expect internet come July.

If you still have a pesky Trojan malware on your computer by July 9, say goodbye to your internet access, the FBI warns.  Both Windows and Mac users aren’t immune to the virus, but Linux users and smart phone and tablet users are safe, Forbes reports.

The specific Trojan malware, or "malicious software," is known as “DNS Changer,” which was discovered in 2007 and infected millions of computers globally.

So how did the DNS Changer claw its way into millions of computers?

Find out what's happening in Half Moon Baywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Every time you search the internet, you trigger the Doman Name System, which turns a domain name like RedwoodCityPatch.com into an Internet Protocol (IP) address so other computers can identify you on the network, basically your computer’s GPS for the internet.

The malware DNS servers would change your search to give fake answers and promote fake and dangerous products, according to the DNS Changer Working Group, the organization created to monitor the malware and help infected users.

Find out what's happening in Half Moon Baywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The FBI worked with Estonian police to seize the servers that contained the spamming malware, but didn’t shut them down so the infected computers could still run, Forbes reported.

However, the FBI has decided to stop running these servers to spare costs, meaning everyone with the malware will lose internet. 

Visit the DNS Changer Working Group’s website to see if your computer is infected and to find out how to remove the malware.

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