Your Internet Might Shut Off Tomorrow Because of a Virus

[jacam]

[quote]Tonight at 12:01 AM EDT Monday July 9th, the Internet is going to become inaccessible for nearly half a million people around the world because of malware called DNS Changer. If your computer is infected with DNS Changer, it won't be able to get on the Internet anymore. Here's how to get rid of it and make sure the Internet still works for you.
It's important to note that even though half a million blocked internet users sounds like a lot, that number is a pretty small subset of the entire world's Internet-connected population. Chances are you're not affected by this at all. Seriously, you're probably not. Really, you should be safe. But like any annoying virus, real or digital, it's a good idea to check yourself and your computer out anyway. Safe computing is underrated, you know. And plus, using your computer without the Internet is a sad existence: no more Facebook crawling, no more Gchat chatting, no more meme spotting, no more adult video watching. You don't want that to happen to you.

Checking if your computer has been affected with DNS Changer is dead simple, all you have to do is go to the FBI-run website DNS-ok.us right here. If the site is green and says you're good to go, you have nothing more to worry about. It's that easy. Remember, DNS Changer only affects PC and Mac OS X computers, if you're worried about your Linux computer or your mobile devices, don't be, they're in the clear.

If you're among the unlucky that are affected though, then you got some fixing to do. According to FBI estimates, 64,000 computers in the United States will get screwed out of the Internet because of DNS Changer. You're not alone.

The way the malware works is that it redirects computers to rogue DNS servers instead of the normal servers specified by ISPs. DNS servers are like the translator of the Internet, it converts website names to IP addresses. It take the website names you put in, finds that website's server and then connects you with that website. The DNS Changer malware was sending people to different, malicious servers without you even knowing.

The FBI saw what was happening and then stepped in, arresting the team behind DNS Changer and replacing the malicious servers DNS Changer that was redirecting computers to with new, clean and temporary servers. It was a band-aid solution that worked but will stop working on July 9th because those temporary FBI-run servers will be shut down by the courts.[/quote]
[url]http://gizmodo.com/5924272/your-internet-might-shut-off-tomorrow-because-of-a-virusheres-how-to-fix-it[/url]

[Smartlord]

This is stretching the use of the word "tomorrow."

[The Worm]

Woo. Linux. Too bad I can't connect to wifi with it anyways. :suicide:

[gnomical]

No DNS server =/= internet is shut off. If you knew the IP addresses of the sites, you could still access them.

[Amy Pond]

[QUOTE=Gnomical;36684269]No DNS server =/= internet is shut off.[/QUOTE]

It does for the most part, unless you want to type the IP address of every single website you visit.

[Smartlord]

[QUOTE=Gnomical;36684269]No DNS server =/= internet is shut off.[/QUOTE]

This might amaze you, but the vast majority of the population can't tell the difference

[neosloth]

[QUOTE=Gnomical;36684269]No DNS server =/= internet is shut off. If you knew the IP addresses of the sites, you could still access them.[/QUOTE]
Explain that to every single housewife

[gnomical]

[QUOTE=CakeMaster7;36684289]This might amaze you, but the vast majority of the population can't tell the difference[/QUOTE]

Yes, it is a shame and makes me sad. Oh well, gives me a job though. :v:

[editline]8th July 2012[/editline]

[QUOTE=superstepa;36684295]Explain that to every single housewife[/QUOTE]

My mother freaked out when she saw it on the news, ran to me and said "OH MY GOD ARE WE GOING TO LOSE THE INTERNET?" I was baffled by what she was talking about at first, then showed me it. I laughed and tried to explain what that malware does, why we won't, and why it isn't losing the internet. She said "uh-huh" and nodded. :v:

[Smartlord]

[QUOTE=Gnomical;36684301]Yes, it is a shame and makes me sad. Oh well, gives me a job though. :v:[/QUOTE]

The general population's lack of intelligence in most areas gives a lot of people jobs

[I]especially[/I] in any sort of technology, since the average person is very tech illiterate

[kidwithsword]

[QUOTE=Ridz0r;36684278]It does for the most part, unless you want to type the IP address of every single website you visit.[/QUOTE]

Wouldn't this necessitate you having stored all the IP addresses of the sites somewhere for you to look up later? I couldn't tell you the IP address of any one of the websites I visit on a regular basis. And if I recall correctly, not all websites have the same IP address at all times.

[Smartlord]

[QUOTE=TheFilmSlacker;36684354]My mind can't even process how this works.[/QUOTE]

DNS directs you to your websites via URLs, this malware changes it to redirect dumb infected people to the malware creator's site so they get ad revenue, everyone freaks out because they were stupid enough to lack the common sense required not to get infected

[Smartlord]

[QUOTE=TheFilmSlacker;36684392]It's July 9th here.

Is there a specific time that it's supposed to happen?[/QUOTE]

12:01 AM EST from what I read

[rrkpp_]

[QUOTE=Gnomical;36684269]No DNS server =/= internet is shut off. If you knew the IP addresses of the sites, you could still access them.[/QUOTE]

who cares? why bother pointing out such a trivial detail when in all practicality no DNS servers = no connection for 99% of users?

[Ntzu]

So is it bad if Firefox says it cannot connect to the site?

[Smartlord]

[QUOTE=ntzu;36684421]So is it bad if Firefox says it cannot connect to the site?[/QUOTE]

No, I got the same issue here and I've already been confirmed clean.

Use another one of the checkers linked [URL="http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/blackout-monday-dns-changer-know-155840354.html"]here[/URL]

[RadioJoNES]

Suckers :wink:

[Zambies!]

Fuck all yall.

[TheFrisk]

Survived DNS virus 2012

[timman]

I survived too! Fuck da hackerzzz

[Missing User]

I feel so bad if any businesses have this thing.

[Smartlord]

Haha, I surviv-

[Pardalis]

Gonna love the posts on Facebook of the one or two people who get their internet shut off by this.

[SockFC]

I survived. Where's my T-Shirt?

[Pardalis]

wait what fuck DNS-ok.us isn't working for me
oh I'm on the green I guess

[Smartlord]

[QUOTE=SockFC;36684533]I survived. Where's my T-Shirt?[/QUOTE]

brb making shirts

[Garbor 0.1]

Nothing happened here.

[Eeshton]

oh god the dns checker is working for me, please just say it's a extremely clever prank to -

[Missing User]

Oh man, that stock photo. My internet is so fucked there is a padlock on the cable

[t]http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/17kigjgsoa85cjpg/original.jpg[/t]

[Pardalis]

Wouldn't it be funny if the server running DNS-ok.us was infected with dnschanger, cause it's not working for me

[Smartlord]

[QUOTE=areolop;36684552]Oh man, that stock photo. My internet is so fucked there is a padlock on the cable

[t]http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/17kigjgsoa85cjpg/original.jpg[/t][/QUOTE]

They act like it's so ~symbolic~ but I'd burst out laughing to see a video of someone grabbing that cable and just plugging it in, and it working fine and everything

[editline]9th July 2012[/editline]

[QUOTE=latin_geek;36684568]Wouldn't it be funny if the server running DNS-ok.us was infected with dnschanger, cause it's not working for me[/QUOTE]

It's not working for anyone, we were getting so close to the time that I assume that they just brought down the site because when you've only got ten minutes it's basically pointless to keep it up