Anybody hear about this? planned internet shutdown on March 8

[lovuian]

http://www.pcworld.com/article/249238/security_slackers_risk_internet_blackout_on_march_8.html

Security Slackers Risk Internet Blackout on March 8
If feds pull down temporary network as planned, machines infected with DNSChanger Trojan won't be able to access the Web.

[Aerows]

1. I don't think this is a bad idea

If your machine is infected, you will find out by not being able to get on the internet until you fix it. Seems reasonable to me.

[lovuian]

2. so you have heard about it

I would hope they would warn the people about it

[LiberalFighter]

3. How do you fix it if you don't have access to the internet?

[RKP5637]

4. Very good question! I've heard nothing

about it, although I run Linux, always updated, so not a concern. ... but you make an excellent point.

[Aerows]

7. If you run linux

chances are you already know how to configure your DNS settings and wouldn't be phased by this .

[RKP5637]

8. Yep, another benefit of Linux! Looks like some OS X and Linux users have

been affected per this older article.

"Windows systems are most often at risk, although recently DNSChanger attacks have affected OS X and Linux, too."

http://www.scmagazine.com/threat-of-the-month-dnschanger/article/104961/

[RKP5637]

13. Yep, it's fine, just looked.

[Aerows]

6. All you have to do is fix your DNS settings

after you use an anti-virus program to remove it. There's also a tool that will do it for you.

http://www.avira.com/en/support-for-home-knowledgebase-detail/kbid/1199

[liberal N proud]

5. Sounds like something to hang on to until March 8

If there are problems, we will know why.

[lovuian]

9. I think I read you might want to keep

a copy of your favorite Url's such as democratic Underground and others

I'm not a tech master far from it

[Progression]

10. A specific quote from article

"This fact does raise the question of why so many Fortune 500 companies and government agencies have failed to notice they have a problem, as they presumably have IT security professionals on staff who should be monitoring such incidents."

I like the 'presumably' put in there. Seems like these Fortune 500 companies are somewhat blind to security issues amongst other things.

[RKP5637]

12. Money, they would rather pocket the money than for top notch IT security professionals on staff. nt

[RKP5637]

11. Here's lots of detail on this. I had to reload the

link several times to get it to work, but there is a lot of detail. I think the server must be very busy.

http://mobile.eweek.com/c/a/Security/Researchers-Discover-Link-Between-TDSS-Rootkit-and-DNSchanger-Trojan-753018/

[lovuian]

14. Thank you for that great link

from your link

Researchers at Dell Secureworks Counter Threat Unit said Nov. 11 that they have seen the TDSS downloading and installing the Trojan onto compromised systems. There have been between 600,000 and 1 million unique IP addresses infected with the DNSchanger Trojan in recent weeks, the researchers said.

[RKP5637]

15. Thanks you for your OP!!! I really had not heard about this. I always keep

everything up to date, but just went and checked my DNS, all is OK.

It would seem the feds could issue a banner warning of sorts each time someone accessed their temporary network. Maybe they already do, don't know.