The DNS Changer Trojan is a sophisticated piece of malware which has compromised an estimated 500,000 systems. Because of the wide-spread damage and repercussions, Google has been making an effort to notify Internet users if their computers or routers are still infected with the DNS Changer Trojan. Google’s effort to notify users to this Trojan has come a month before July 9, the date on which the FBI has said they will take any computers infected with the malware offline.
If your computer has been infected, you may notice an alert at the top of your search results reading “Your computer appears to be infect.” Google hopes to warn as many of the infected users as possible before the July 9 deadline. The deadline began as part of “Operation Ghost Click” in November of 2011 when the FBI took down a cybercrime ring that had already infected 4,000,000 computers worldwide with the DNS Changer Trojan.
What does DNS Changer do?
DNS Changer enables malicious users to hijack web traffic and redirect it to a compromised site that the malicious user controls. These sites usually display ads and generate revenue for the operator when an infected system visits the site. These sites can also be disguised to look as legitimate sites (e.g. a banking site) used to trick users into entering personal information which is then sent to the operator of the site.
What do I do if I am infected?
If you would like more information about the DNS Changer Trojan and what you can do to protect yourself, contact OAC Technology. We provide network security solutions in Minneapolis – St. Paul region.
