Thousands could be Internet-less today
WASHINGTON – Internet providers have plans to help their customers today and others are braced for calls to help lines because thousands around the country whose computers were infected with malicious software more than a year ago faced the possibility of not being able to get online.
Internet users scanning their Twitter feeds or Facebook accounts Sunday were encouraged to add one more quick click to check their computer for malware.
Some providers may put technical solutions in place that will correct the server problem that could hit some computers after midnight EDT Sunday. It they do, the Internet will work, but the malware will remain on victims’ computers and could pose future problems, said Tom DeGrasso, an FBI supervisory special agent.
After midnight EDT Sunday, the FBI was shutting down the Internet servers set up as a temporary safety net to keep infected computers online for the past eight months. The court order the agency obtained to keep the servers running expired, and it was not renewed.
The problem began when international hackers ran an online advertising scam to take control of more than 570,000 infected computers around the world. When the FBI went in to take down the hackers late last year, agents realized that if they turned off the malicious servers being used to control the computers, all the victims would lose their Internet service.
In a highly unusual move, the FBI set up the safety net. The bureau brought in a private company to install two clean Internet servers to take over for the malicious servers so that people would not suddenly lose their Internet.
The FBI arranged for a private company to run a website – http://www.dcwg.org – as a place where computer users could go to see if their computer was infected and find links to other computer security business sites where they could find fixes for the problem.
Rep. Jim Langevin, D-R.I., a co-founder of Congress’ cybersecurity caucus, said computer users have a responsibility to practice good sense and make sure their computers are not infected or being hijacked by criminals.
“These types of issues are only going to increase as our society relies more and more on the Internet, so it is a reminder that everyone can do their part,” he said.