If you still have a particularly pesky piece of Trojan malware on your computer by July 9, you might have to say goodbye to your internet access, the FBI warns. Both Windows and Mac users aren’t immune to the virus, but Linux users and smart phone and tablet users are safe, Forbes reports.
The specific Trojan malware, or "malicious software," is known as “DNS Changer,” which was discovered in 2007 and infected millions of computers globally.
So how did the DNS Changer claw its way into millions of computers?
Every time you search the Internet, you trigger the Domain Name System, which turns a domain name like Millbrae.Patch.com into an Internet Protocol (IP) address so other computers can identify you on the network, basically your computer’s GPS for the Internet.
The malware DNS servers would change your search to give fake answers and promote fake and dangerous products, according to the DNS Changer Working Group, the organization created to monitor the malware and help infected users.
The FBI worked with Estonian police to seize the servers that contained the spamming malware, but didn’t shut them down so the infected computers could still run, Forbes reported.
However, the FBI has decided to stop running these servers to spare costs, meaning everyone with the malware will lose Internet service.
Visit the DNS Changer Working Group’s website to see if your computer is infected and to find out how to remove the malware.
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