Are you prepared for the DNS Changer malware?
Contributed by: Email on 05/10/2012 02:43 PM
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Unless you wish to take the chance of being knocked off the internet in a few months, the Department of Homeland Security is the latest federal agency to now appeal to U.S. consumers to check their systems for signs of the DNSChanger malware.
Rand Beers, undersecretary for the National Protection and Programs Directorate, implored users to test their home and office computers for the trojan, which infected more than 4 million machines in 100 countries before law enforcement officials took down the sophisticated fraud ring. Authorities have already taken command of implicated DNS servers and redirected compromised computers to surrogate servers as part of "Operation Ghost Click".
"I encourage everyone to keep your operating system, browser, and other critical software optimized by installing updates," Beers wrote in a blog post on the DHS Web site. "And, you can assess your own computers susceptibility for the DNSChanger malware at the industry-wide DNSChanger Working Group website. In fact, I just tested my computer at home the process was simple, straight-forward, and only took a few minutes."
84,000 computers are still tied to the "clean" servers put up for the FBI by the Internet Systems Consortium as of last month. The worldwide number is 350,000. A Kindsight Security Lab malware report released today for Q1 ranked DNSChanger as the most prevalent high-level infection with 1 in 400 households still infected.
Federal officials this spring began recommending people scan their machines with a number of free tools, including one widely publicized scanner on the Working Group's web site. But a security expert cautioned it can create confusion from inconsistent findings. One suggested solution is to download AV software that scans for DNSChanger, rather than rely solely on one of the sites on the FBI's Check-up List.
In the meantime, DHS's Beers is asking everyone to help spread the word to reduce the number of machines still carrying the troublesome trojan. "DHS is committed to ensuring cyberspace supports a secure and resilient infrastructure, enables innovation and prosperity, and protects privacy and other civil liberties by design, but we need everyone, including our industry partners and the general public to do their part."
Rand Beers, undersecretary for the National Protection and Programs Directorate, implored users to test their home and office computers for the trojan, which infected more than 4 million machines in 100 countries before law enforcement officials took down the sophisticated fraud ring. Authorities have already taken command of implicated DNS servers and redirected compromised computers to surrogate servers as part of "Operation Ghost Click".
"I encourage everyone to keep your operating system, browser, and other critical software optimized by installing updates," Beers wrote in a blog post on the DHS Web site. "And, you can assess your own computers susceptibility for the DNSChanger malware at the industry-wide DNSChanger Working Group website. In fact, I just tested my computer at home the process was simple, straight-forward, and only took a few minutes."
84,000 computers are still tied to the "clean" servers put up for the FBI by the Internet Systems Consortium as of last month. The worldwide number is 350,000. A Kindsight Security Lab malware report released today for Q1 ranked DNSChanger as the most prevalent high-level infection with 1 in 400 households still infected.
Federal officials this spring began recommending people scan their machines with a number of free tools, including one widely publicized scanner on the Working Group's web site. But a security expert cautioned it can create confusion from inconsistent findings. One suggested solution is to download AV software that scans for DNSChanger, rather than rely solely on one of the sites on the FBI's Check-up List.
In the meantime, DHS's Beers is asking everyone to help spread the word to reduce the number of machines still carrying the troublesome trojan. "DHS is committed to ensuring cyberspace supports a secure and resilient infrastructure, enables innovation and prosperity, and protects privacy and other civil liberties by design, but we need everyone, including our industry partners and the general public to do their part."
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