For some computer users, a few mouse clicks could mean the difference between staying online and losing Internet connections this summer.

Unknown to most of them, their problem began when international hackers ran an online advertising scam to take control of infected computers around the world. In a highly unusual response, the FBI set up a safety net months ago using government computers to prevent Internet disruptions for those infected users. But that system is to be shut down.

This is what happened:

Hackers infected a network of probably more than 570,000 computers worldwide. They took advantage of vulnerabilities in the Microsoft Windows operating system to install malicious software on the victim computers. This turned off antivirus updates and changed the way the computers look up website addresses behind the scenes on the Internet's domain name system.

The domain name system is a network of servers that translates a Web address — such as www.statesman.com — into the numerical addresses that computers use. Victim computers were reprogrammed to use rogue domain name system servers owned by the attackers. This allowed the attackers to redirect computers to fraudulent versions of any website.

The hackers earned profits from advertisements that appeared on websites that victims were tricked into visiting. The scam netted the hackers at least $14 million, according to the FBI. It also made thousands of computers reliant on the rogue servers for their Internet browsing.

Installing and running the two substitute servers for eight months is costing the federal government about $87,000.

Here's how the FBI says you can check your computer and avoid potentially losing your ability to connect to the Internet on July 9:

Go to www.dcwg.org.

Click on "Detect" in the upper left corner, or on the Green Button next to it.

You will be directed to a new page. Pick your language from the list and click on the link next to it.

If your computer is not infected, you will see a green logo with the message: "DNS Resolution = Green. Your computer appears to be looking up IP addresses correctly!"

If you see that message, you don't need to do anything more.

If you see a message with a red logo saying your computer appears to be infected, you will be directed to a new page with websites that will provide antivirus tools that cybersecurity experts have identified as being effective in removing the malware.

The website also provides information on the case and the malware

http://www.statesman.com/news/nation/hundreds-of-thousands-may-lose-internet-in-july-2317399.html?fb_ref=homepage

Thanks Sly, a client of mine was once complaining of not being able to view his site while it was perfectly clear on my end. I just need to point all my clients to this page chikena.

Thanks for the info siar. Hacking is very sweet but programming and coding are more delicious. I have gone very far and learnt alot about hacking but dont even know how to prevent being hacked... Hacking would be a waste of time if you fail to place you name as a global recongnised hacker where you will be paid to hack if you knew how to do the job properly. And all you do with it is commit unecessary attrocities with it if you are not a recongnised hacker.

Thank you for the information.

Just checked mine. .seems I'm clean

Thanks for the info, checked and my lappy is looking up IP correctly.

...And yet all you will hear "internationally" is that Nigerians are responsible for internet Scams [/b]when in actual fact, [b]Nigerians represent a very small fraction that is actually unsophisticated, compared to what other nations do, especially the East Europeans!

(shakes head in obvious annoyance!)

Lastpage!

I was just thinking this could be a ploy by the FBI/CIA or whatever to spread their malware and get people infected... I mean seriously, come to think of it.. if you loose internet on your pc, are you not going to ever get it back? If you scanned on this website now, and you get a red alert that your system is infected, what are you going to do about it now? Can we not remove this infection after July after we find that we have lost internet... without having to additionally jeopardise our lives by dealing with the people who wrote stuxnet and flame malware cyberwar tools that has ravaged the middle eastern countries?

Is the FBI so good all of s sudden that they are putting up a website for you to scan your computers? Haha.. i sorry for the gullible...

My dears, I believe this is a classic scam by the FBI to get your systems infected with their spyware. They are following the confirmed formular of predicting a world ending scenario and then scaring you to take action whereby you will fall directly into their trap.

This is just my opinion on this....

Great info. thanks

Thanks for dat info..........................

Thanks fo the info but I won't do it.

Similar discussion exist here: How Are You Preparing For The Internet Outage On July 9 ?

Thanks for the information

checkd mine,i am gud 2 go.tnx 4 d vital in4

Peterson1993: Thanks for the info sir. Hacking is very sweet but programming and coding are more delicious. I have gone very far and learnt alot about hacking but dont even know how to prevent being hacked... Hacking would be a waste of time if you fail to place you name as a global recognized hacker where you will be paid to hack if you knew how to do the job properly. And all you do with it is commit unnecessary atrocities with it if you are not a recognized hacker.

You made some good points. .Getting paid to hack is called Penetration Testing especially when it's ethical i.e with the system/network/web app owner's authorized permission.

The best feeling in the world is getting paid to do what you love to do. .

Thank u 4d info sir

This info is all over the net except on FBI site. So how trustworthy is it?

@op

How safe is iPad against this virus ?

erniok: This info is all over the net except on FBI site. So how trustworthy is it?

Seconded. A potential java drive-by !!!
Thanks, i'll reset my DNS manually.

erniok: This info is all over the net except on FBI site. So how trustworthy is it?

Are u thinking what am thinking?

14 million dollars,i love this hackers,atleast the are making good money from their trade,not like our naija hackers were the only sabi to hack person twitter account

What better and easier way to get people's PC infected with a virus than to create an infectious site under the guise of alerting people about a potential infection and telling them to visit the site to check if they are infected?

In Hacker's speak, the GREEN means GOTCHA!!! Hahahahaha

Ingenious I tells ya!!

erniok: This info is all over the net except on FBI site. So how trustworthy is it?

xtremeidea:

Are u thinking what am thinking?

mxxpunkxx:

Seconded. A potential java drive-by !!!
Thanks, i'll reset my DNS manually.

Doubting Thomases

Yahoo's Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hundreds-thousands-may-lose-internet-july-181324701--finance.html
FBI's Source: www.fbi.gov/DNS-changer-malware.pdf

konami001: I was just thinking this could be a ploy by the FBI/CIA or whatever to spread their malware and get people infected... I mean seriously, come to think of it.. if you loose internet on your pc, are you not going to ever get it back? If you scanned on this website now, and you get a red alert that your system is infected, what are you going to do about it now? Can we not remove this infection after July after we find that we have lost internet... without having to additionally jeopardise our lives by dealing with the people who wrote stuxnet and flame malware cyberwar tools that has ravaged the middle eastern countries?

Is the FBI so good all of s sudden that they are putting up a website for you to scan your computers? Haha.. i sorry for the gullible...

My dears, I believe this is a classic scam by the FBI to get your systems infected with their spyware. They are following the confirmed formular of predicting a world ending scenario and then scaring you to take action whereby you will fall directly into their trap.

This is just my opinion on this....

Thanks bro, Nigerians are some of the most gullible people in the world. I'm sure by now most of them saying 'Thanks' to the OP have already scanned their sysyem on that site.
@ ALL,THE INTERNET IS NOT SHUTTING DOWN IN JULY OR ANYTIME AFTER.

Thanks for the info, but i think i'll just wait and see what happens on July 9. Worst case scenario, i reset the friggin' ish manually. If the bas.tar.ds have been eating me mugu for months now, then 3 more days wont make much difference.

just checked out the stuff, my pc is doing good.

careytommy:
Thanks bro, Nigerians are some of the most gullible people in the world. I'm sure by now most of them saying 'Thanks' to the OP have already scanned their sysyem on that site.
@ ALL,THE INTERNET IS NOT SHUTTING DOWN IN JULY OR ANYTIME AFTER.

Did you read my posts at all? Why the bleep do people open their shitty mouths without verifying?

To those that didn't see the links, I'm re-posting here again. .

Nonsense!


Yahoo's Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hundreds-thousands-may-lose-internet-july-181324701--finance.html
FBI's Source: www.fbi.gov/DNS-changer-malware.pdf

Just check mine and I was safe

I was just thinking this could be a ploy by the FBI/CIA or whatever to spread their malware and get people infected... I mean seriously, come to think of it.. if you loose internet on your pc, are you not going to ever get it back? If you scanned on this website now, and you get a red alert that your system is infected, what are you going to do about it now? Can we not remove this infection after July after we find that we have lost internet... without having to additionally jeopardise our lives by dealing with the people who wrote stuxnet and flame malware cyberwar tools that has ravaged the middle eastern countries?

Is the FBI so good all of s sudden that they are putting up a website for you to scan your computers? Haha.. i sorry for the gullible...

My dears, I believe this is a classic scam by the FBI to get your systems infected with their spyware. They are following the confirmed formular of predicting a world ending scenario and then scaring you to take action whereby you will fall directly into their trap.

This is just my opinion on this....

You said it all bro.. though i dont think its the FBI the whole thing is the scam itself, anyone that followed the link has unknowingly made his/her system vulnurable.. but its crazy how this made the front page

Just checked mine and was given the all green. thanks men!!

just like www.pmnewsnigeria.com has been seriously hacked.many sites that i used to visit are affected also. Thats why you need to be careful of what u download or run on your computer especially in the name of freebies.nothing comes very free, they come with poison. Never knew my computer had over 40 malware despite of stong antivirus only to buy malbtye software and voila, 48 dangerous malware was detected in dangerous location. Be warned. Know what to download and what not to. Very soon now, the will start targeting phones