Beginning on Monday, hundreds of thousands of Internet users, whose computers are infected with a particularly nasty virus, will not be able to access the Web. The Federal Bureau of Investigation will shut down Internet servers that it temporarily set up to support those affected by malicious software called DNSChanger. By turning off those servers, all those who remain infected will be knocked offline.
A group of six Estonian cybercriminals infected nearly 4 million computers around the world over the past five years with DNSChanger. The malware redirected infected users’ Internet searches to sites with malicious advertisements. The FBI has been sending warnings to Internet users for months about the blackout, according to reports. Google and Facebook have joined awareness efforts by alerting users whose devices appear infected. The sites display warnings and provide links to help get rid of the malware.
