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Internet down? It might be the DNS Charger virus

Monday, July 09, 2012

It sounds like the plot of a Hollywood movie but instead it's a very real threat to your web browsing. On Monday July 9 at midnight, a piece of malware, nicknamed the "Internet doomsday" virus, may redirect your attempts to surf the web and send you to fake or counterfeit servers, if your computer was infected. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) calls it the DNS Changer virus, which explains in less glamorous terms the mechanics of how the program works.

The FBI has alerted the public to the possibility that the DNS Changer virus may have infected tens of thousands of computers, sending web surfers to fake sites. After taking down the makers of the virus late last year, the Bureau used a safety net of servers to handle incoming traffic from infected computers, essentially buying them time to inform the public and give them information on how to get rid of the program. Now those servers have expired and the threat is back again to Internet users. The virus won't take the Internet down forever nor cause any problem with your computer's hardware.

What to do if you are experiencing problems getting online:

1. Call your Internet service provider to let them know you’re having problems.

2. Back up important files onto an external hard drive in case you need to reinstall your operating system to get rid of the virus.

3. Scan your computer using a good program, such as Windows Defender Offline, MacScan and PowerErase.

4. If you do have these tools on your computer already, you can run a scan to remove the virus. Otherwise, call your Internet service provider for their best advice on what to do next.

To check to see if your computer has become infected with the virus, visit the DNS Working Group website.

To learn more, visit the FBI's informational website about the virus.