News
McAfee keeps consumers connected after DNS access cut off
July 2012 by Marc Jacob
McAfee has just released a free tool to help consumers who may be infected by the ‘DNSChanger’ Trojan stay connected after servers are shut down by the FBI on July 9th. The new McAfee tool, available on the McAfee website, helps users easily identify whether they have been affected by the malware and offers a free solution if they have been infected.
Domain Name System, or DNS, converts user-friendly website names into the Internet protocol (IP) addresses that computers use to talk to each other. When users enter a website name into their web browsers, their computers contact DNS servers. If users’ computers have the wrong DNS settings for the servers, they will not be able to access websites, send e-mail or use Internet services.
DNSChanger is a Trojan created by cybercriminals to redirect the Internet traffic of millions of unsuspecting consumers to websites where the thieves have profited from advertisements. All computers still infected with DNSChanger malware will no longer be able to access websites, email, chat, or social networking sites like Facebook after July 9th.
“Identifying and changing these settings manually can be difficult,” said Vincent Weafer, senior vice president, McAfee Labs. “By providing a free tool that walks them through the process, we’re making it easy for consumers to fix their settings and stay connected. For us, this is part of our relentless focus on protecting and liberating consumers so that they may safely experience everything the Internet has to offer.”
Consumers can easily check if they are infected with the DNS Changer Trojan by visiting www.mcafee.com/dnscheck and clicking a button to see if their computer has been infected. If they are infected, the website will offer them a free solution to restore their Internet settings.
