PSA: Is Your Computer Protected?

Did you know that thousands of people might lose their internet connection on Monday? The FBI is doing a massive sweep to remove malware from servers after they arrested the hackers back in November. Once the sweep is complete, any computer still infected will be blocked from accessing the Domain Name Service (DNS), a necessity to prevent a massive re-infection.

Computers could have been affected over a year ago and not even know it. To make sure your computer will continue to work after Monday, take a second to check your DNS Settings. The website for people in the United States is http://www.dns-ok.us/ and is linked from the FBI's official website.

If your computer is affected, you can contact your ISP to find the correct steps to remove the malware.

Update on March 12, 2012: To assist victims affected by the DNSChanger malicious software, the FBI obtained a court order authorizing the Internet Systems Consortium (ISC) to deploy and maintain temporary clean DNS servers. This solution is temporary, providing additional time for victims to clean affected computers and restore their normal DNS settings. The clean DNS servers will be turned off on July 9, 2012, and computers still impacted by DNSChanger may lose Internet connectivity at that time.

Check out the FBI's website for more information.

While you're checking that your computer is safe, I recommend also checking your current virus protection. If it's expired you are not getting the most up-to-date protection. New viruses are released every day. There are a few free protections available and you can almost always find a rebate at your local office supply store for inexpensive protection.