You may not have heard about the DNSChanger Trojan, but it is important to consider whether your computer might be infected, since on Monday, July 9 2012, the safety net the FBI set up to prevent the malicious software from harming infected machines gets shut down. The problem is that most victims don’t know their computers have been infected, so when the safety net is lifted on Monday, any infected machine will suddenly lose their Internet service (hence the nickname “Internet Doomsday Virus”). It is estimated that about 64,000 machines are infected in the United States.
What you need to know:
- Before July 9th, it is recommended that you check your computer for the Trojan and update your internet settings.
- If the computer has the Trojan or doesn’t have the correct Internet settings, then that machine will not have access to the Internet beginning July 9th.
- To do a quick check on your computer, visit the website:
http://www.dns-ok.us/
If you are infected:
- Call your IT service provider, and have them create a backup of all of your important files.
- Then, have your IT service provider run an Anti-rootkit utility for you, such as Kaspersky’s TDSSKiller, available at the website:
http://support.kaspersky.com/faq/?qid=208283363 - After the infection has been removed, have your IT service provider check to ensure your DNS settings are correctly set.
There is nothing quite as disturbing to a computer user than facing a potential malware attack. Just remember that the best way to defend against such an attack is to prepare for it. That means arming yourself with the proper knowledge and implementing protective measures proactively. If you follow the above steps before Monday, you will have nothing to fear from the DNSChanger Trojan.