FBI May Block Your Internet Access Beginning March 8
In the last step of an international effort to break up an
Estonian cybercrime ring, the FBI is planning to switch off
bogus domain-name servers formerly controlled by the criminals on
March 8, potentially disabling Web access for hundreds of
thousands of users still infected by the criminals’ malware.
The FBI investigation,
Operation Ghost Click, last November took down the gang
responsible for infecting at least a half-million computers in
the U.S. with a piece of malware called “DNSChanger,” which
enabled the crooks to hijack Web traffic and reroute it to rigged
sites. The hackers collected $14 million in income from
fraudulent advertisement revenue in the process.
The malware was found on computers at half of all Fortune 500
companies and at 27 government agencies.
About 450,000 computers are still infected with the Trojan, the
DNS Changer Working Group recently reported. (The DCWG has a tool on its
website to determine if your computer is harboring the malware.)
Following the November bust, the FBI set up temporary Domain Name
System “surrogate” servers to enable Web access for those PCs
infected by the DNSChanger Trojan, researcher
Brian Krebs explained. However, the court order
permitting the surrogate servers gave the FBI only until March 8
to operate them.
In three weeks, any computer still infected with DNSChanger will
have difficulty getting online. DNS servers translate text-based
Web addresses such as “www.securitynewsdaily.com” to Internet
Protocol address numbers such as “166.70.35.157.” A
malfunctioning or missing DNS server will prevent the former from
working, though savvy Web users can simply replace it with the
latter.
As Chet Wisniewski from the security firm Sophos
explained :”The FBI seized control of the rogue DNS servers
that were being used by the victim computers and ensured they
produced correct DNS answers. If the servers go down, any machine
currently relying on them for DNS name services will cease to be
able to browse the Web, read email or do just about anything on
the Internet at all.”
But Wisniewski, noting that few owners of the infected computers
have taken steps to purge their systems of the DNSChanger Trojan,
believes the FBI’s decision could be a positive step in raising
awareness of security vulnerabilities and getting people to take
a more active role in securing their systems.
“You can’t survive cancer by not getting tested,” he wrote.
“Keeping your machine infected so you can surf is not likely the
best strategy.”
About the infected DNS servers, Wisniewski added: “I say turn
them off. It will be a rude wake-up call but an unfortunately
necessary one. We all have responsibility for our own security
and safety, and it isn’t the job of the FBI or anyone else to
coddle those who haven’t taken the steps to ensure their own
safety.”
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Article source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46429991
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