A prolific trojan called DNSChanger could soon prevent hundreds of thousands of Mac and Windows PCs from connecting to the internet.
On Monday, the FBI plans to shut down defenses that have been in place for months, cutting the estimated 275,000 still-infected computers off from the internet.
To check if your PC is infected with DNSChanger, head to the DNS Changer Working Group's (DCWG) check tool. If the box is green, you're good to go.
If the box is red, your internet will go dead on Monday, July 9, but The DWCG has a whole arsenal of tools ready to use.
Another solution lies with McAfee's DNS checker, which will reportedly aid you in removing the harmful trojan should your computer be infected.
FBI Operation Ghost Click
The DNSChanger malware began circulating in 2007, redirecting infected computers to pirate DNS servers that stole users' personal information.
The criminal endeavor was thwarted last November, when the FBI arrested its six Estonian masterminds.
But rather than shut down the servers, thus switching the internet off for any infected computers, the FBI chose to temporarily legitimize them in anticipation of a more permanent solution.
Thus was born the FBI's "Operation Ghost Click," which is being shut down on July 9.
Google tried to warn you
Google began warning users of the impending internet implosion in May.
Google search users with DNSChanger-infected computers began seeing messages at the tops of their search results prompting them to "take action" against the trojan.
The search giant used its ubiquity to warn as many potential victims as possible, though there are still as many as 275,000 infected computers.
So try as they might to get the word out, internet service providers are still likely going to get a lot of irate calls on Monday.
Via Mashable
