Cyber crime: No internet for 0.25m users from today

Malware will inflict internet service by changing a user’s DNS settings without permission.


News Desk July 09, 2012

More than a quarter million internet users across the world are to be affected by a DNS (Domain Name System) malware called DNSChanger which will curtail internet access from today (Monday) onwards, according to cnet.com.

The cutoff is scheduled for 12:01am Eastern Daylight Time. Following this time, computers affected by the malware will witness a message indicating “server not found” when they try to access the internet.

The malware will inflict internet service by changing a user’s DNS settings without permission. As a result, the desired URL is directed to another Internet Service Provider. This re-direction may deem a user’s private information susceptible to criminalised cyber-groups, and allow such groups to accumulate illegitimate revenue by making the user click on fake web advertisements.

Affecting machines in this way, the DNSChanger is a Trojan horse malware of a complex nature. According to cnet.com, it was simulated in 2007 by Estonian cyber criminals who were arrested in 2011 after having amassed $14 million in illegal revenue.

Prior to arresting the culprits, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) formulated a “redirect of the redirect”, allowing machines to dodge the affects of the malware. The FBI-formulated protection is alleged to expire on today.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 9th, 2012.

COMMENTS (5)

Whats_wrong | 11 years ago | Reply

@Rizwan: The news is in Pakistani website so I don't know who is dumb enough not to understand that. GMT is the standard not CST. If you go to any indian news website they will tell about Indian timings rather than central american. It just shows the inferiority complex of ET & Pakistanis in general. Or when ET is copying they just don't know how to localize the news for the readers.

kamran ahmad | 11 years ago | Reply

it also affect my three websites :(

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