FBI: Hundreds of thousands may Lose Internet Access in July

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has warned that hundreds of thousands of computer users could lose their internet connections next July, unless they take steps to diagnose and disinfect their computers.

The problem is related to the ‘DNSChanger’ malware that was first discovered in 2007 and infected millions of computers worldwide.

The malware was used by “international cyberbandits who hijacked millions of computers at will and rerouted them to internet web sites and advertisements of their own choosing,” the agency said. Since many infected computers relied on the servers to reach the internet, the FBI opted to keep them temporarily running until July 8, 2012, and converted them to legitimate DNS machines, as Cnet stated.

Users around the world have been advised by the FBI to visit www.dcwg.org to check their PCs online.