Very Important: Please Check Your Computer For the DNS Switcher Trojan. You may lose your Internet on 7/9.

 

Big thank you goes to tazgecko and to DaveBax.

Both these Community members have emailed/pm’d me with this news item which could adversely affect your connectivity.

The DNS Switcher does just what it says. It changes the legitimate DNS address to a ‘ghosted’ one where you will be bilked, or given false information. illions of computers were infected by the gang of six Estonian criminals the FBI, etc. put boots to sometime back.

You should check here:  http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2011/november/malware_110911

for a full explanation and the displayed page should look like this (minus my annotations):

You should navigate to here: http://www.dcwg.org/  the DCWG homepage through which you can test your computer and if infected obtain instructions how to fix the problem and how to protect your computer through the three icons at to top of the page.

That page should look like this (there are four pictures which change so don’t panic if you get an initially different picture which changes):

Outside the USA:

Canada: CIRA has developed with other agencies a DNS Switcher checking site as well, here:

http://DNS-OK.ca/ 

and other countries (Australia is one from the bottom) here:

Thanks again, Dave and taz.

Hope you all check up on things ASAP.

91,137 views 33 replies
Reply #1 Top

Did my checking and it says I'm good. Now I have to do my Sisters computer and tell my Daughter. Thanks

Reply #2 Top

Heard about this a few days ago. Doc I thought you already knew or I would have contacted you. Looks like I'm clean.

Reply #3 Top

It's all good, kona. Thank goodness for all you great folks here who want to help. :congrat:

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Reply #4 Top

Thanks Doc. All my PCs check out.

Reply #5 Top

Yep, saw this in my electronic newspaper and checked myself. All clear.

Reply #6 Top

Gonna check mine now. Saw this only this morning.

I are good to go.

Reply #7 Top

News article from November, 2011? Rather old news. I think I would have noticed if I lost internet by now. o_O Checked clean anyway, so thanks Doc.

Reply #8 Top

Thanks so much for the heads up.  All clean here.  :D

Reply #9 Top

Quoting Wizard1956, reply 7
News article from November, 2011? Rather old news. I think I would have noticed if I lost internet by now. Checked clean anyway, so thanks Doc.
End of Wizard1956's quote

Wiz you are correct and I saw it last year but didn't pay any attention to it. When there was a large articial in my newspaper today I noticed. However it doesn't take place till july 9, 2012

Reply #10 Top

Quoting Wizard1956, reply 7
News article from November, 2011? Rather old news. I think I would have noticed if I lost internet by now. Checked clean anyway, so thanks Doc.
End of Wizard1956's quote

This is not OLD news! The FBI is going to stop there redirect service in July, originally slated to happen in March but too many computers were still infected so they are giving folks another chance to check and make sure they are clean. There was an article about this in our local newspaper this morning. <3 v_v

Reply #11 Top

The malware is old news, the redirected servers are old news. The only NEW news here is that they are gonna shut off the clean, redirected servers in July, rather than March.

 

My two cents.  :grin:

 

 

Reply #12 Top

Clean!

Reply #13 Top

Quoting RedneckDude, reply 11
The malware is old news, the redirected servers are old news. The only NEW news here is that they are gonna shut off the clean, redirected servers in July, rather than March.

 

My two cents. 

 

 
End of RedneckDude's quote

Correct, oh Rednecked one. That's the "news" minus the National Enquirer style of reporting. :annoyed:

Reply #14 Top

The National Enquirer would probably have you searching for aliens inside your rig. They're pretty good at that. Just look at all the pix they have of tall, wiry grey aliens shaking hands with the US president.

Reply #15 Top

Checked mine the other day, there was a story about in on facebook posted by Jimbo.  :sun:

Reply #16 Top

Well I'm glad you brought it up.  When I'd seen this before I'd thought "Surely after all this time MS updates and any AV even half worth its salt would pick it up."  Wasn't until I read the article that I saw that's not necessarily true, even if the updates have been coming through.

Reply #17 Top

Doc! Many thanks for getting the "old News" out to the folks who have either not heard of this or think their machine could never be infected! Great community service notice. :meow: According to the "news" article in the paper this AM, there are still about 580,000 infected machines in the USA.

Reply #18 Top

You're perfectly welcome, Frankie. Glad to do it. The warning was for those who hadn't used the available resources to check to see if they were being 'redirected' without their knowledge and that there's a 'fix' for it.

Didn't mean for some to think this was a brand new thing... only that it would have consequences come July, which many don't know.

It was after all, posted under "Personal Computing", not "News". ;)

Reply #20 Top

Whoa! The FBI are really in need of a competent graphics designer.

Reply #21 Top

You should navigate to here: http://www.dcwg.org/
End of quote

 

Service Unavailable. Please try again later.

 

or when it does load it's all messed up and then the Links take you back to

Service Unavailable. Please try again later.

 

and no it's not my PC  all other links from OP work

 

EDIT it worked now JUST had to do 5 to 15 fast clicks on the reload button..

 

Reply #22 Top

Thanks alot Doc. I am good to go.  :thumbsup:

Reply #23 Top

DC - it took 2 clicks for me, just now. Might be that the news about this on the net has caused some 'traffic problems'. Don't give up. It's important.

Reply #24 Top

I guess millions are checking their computers - I got: Service Unavailable. Please try again later.

Oh well, if they do not check by July, I guess I am going to get a lot of calls.

Reply #25 Top

As I thought, I am not infected.