'DNSChanger' Malware... The Final Act... Pulling the Plug July 9th

Computers still harboring malware known as DNSChanger are expected to face some Internet connectivity problems come Monday. Why? That’s when the U.S. FBI is expected to pull power on servers keeping those systems stable.

When the FBI previously circled in on cyber criminals operating the malware ring in 2010 and 2011, simply pulling rogue servers used to operate the massive scam simply wasn’t enough. Infected computers’ online access had become reliant on the hardware.

Unless the virus was removed from systems individually, those unaware of its presence would suddenly run into big Internet problems. So the FBI’s solution? Replace the rogue malware servers with legitimate ones temporarily while buying more time for thousands of users to detect and remove the virus.

Over the last few months, the bureau has pushed for online users to detect malware, even providing links to removal tools.

So how did the scam operation work? The FBI explained it in November. “To carry out the scheme, the defendants and their co-conspirators used what are known as “rogue” Domain Name System (“DNS”) servers, and malware (“the Malware”) that was designed to alter the DNS server settings on infected computers. Victims’ computers became infected with the Malware when they visited certain websites or downloaded certain software to view videos online,” commented the FBI.

The bureau continued, “The Malware altered the DNS server settings on victims’ computers to route the infected computers to rogue DNS servers controlled and operated by the defendants and their co-conspirators.”

Through their methods, the FBI said cyber criminals made millions in illegal profits. Seven individuals have been charged in the operation for committing wire fraud, computer intrusion conspiracy, money laundering and more. Such charges range between five and 30 years in prison.

With Monday being the cut-off date to remove the malware, ISP companies should be standing by to assist customers if their internet access does not work. Hopefully a significant amount of people have since removed the malware.

July 6, 2012 - posted at BeforeIt'sNews

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