Community Corner
Infected Computers Could Lose Internet Access Monday
Come Monday, July 9, computers infected by the hidden DNS Changer virus, also spelled DNSChanger, will lose Internet access if not fixed. An FBI-recommended Web site can quickly tell you if your computer is safe.
Hundreds of thousands of computer users infected by the DNSChanger computer virus could lose access to the Internet on July 9.
The Huffington Post reported in April that the problem began when international hackers ran an online advertising scam to take control of infected computers.
The FBI responded with a safety net using government computers to prevent Internet disruptions.
Find out what's happening in Suisun Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
"But that safety net is going offline next Monday meaning that anyone who is still infected with the virus will lose access to the Internet unless they remove it from their machine," writes Hayley Tsukayama in The Washington Post.
Many people still don’t know whether or not their computers have been affected.
Find out what's happening in Suisun Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The FBI is still urging computer users to visit www.dcwg.org, a Web site run by its security partner, to find out whether their computer is infected and how to fix the problem. U.S. users can run the test directly at www.dns-ok.us.
The problem arises during the process of shutting down the computer. Once the shutdown is complete, computers infected by DNSChanger could lose access to the Internet. D-day is set for July 9.
According to CBS News, about 277,000 computers worldwide — 64,000 of them in the United States — could still be infected.
After July 9, any computers still infected will not be able to access the Internet.
Connect with us on: Facebook , Twitter, Daily Newsletter
