General Discussion

[Orla-Ireland]

Google has embarked on a final campaign to warn the remaining half million PCs it estimates could still be infected with the DNSChanger malware that they risk losing Internet connectivity on July 9.

Starting this week, any users of Google's search tools who are detected redirecting to DNSChanger's now substituted domains will be splashed the stark warning "Your computer appears to be infected" with an accompanying link offering remediation advice.

"While we expect to notify over 500,000 users within a week, we realize we won't reach every affected user. Some ISPs have been taking their own actions, a few of which will prevent our warning from being displayed on affected devices," said Google's warning. (See also "Protect Yourself From DNSChanger.").

As many as half the users affected by DNSChange do not speak English and had not reacted to warnings already issued by the FBI and others, Google believed.

DNSChanger was the work of an Estonian criminal gang that recruited PCs into the bot without hindrance for several years until being busted by law enforcement Operation Ghost Click in November 2011.

Once infected PCs all browser visits were redirected through the gang's own DNS servers, now kept alive by court direction simply to give infected users time to unhitch themselves from these machines.

Estimates on infection vary but it is believed that at its peak DNSChanger infected four million PCs, including sizable numbers inside large US companies. An original cut-off date of March 8 was extended to July 9 to allow more users to remove the malware.

Source : http://www.pcworld.com/article/256236/google_warns_clean_your_pc_or_lose_internet_access.html

[ProjectVRD]

Would be nice to see Microsoft offer a free, thorough scan over the net. I know the have their security essentials thing but some people are dumb and have no protection... Is a Microsoft update that periodically makes your PC get a scan from their web server really be such a bad thing?

[xElfenLied_US]

Too much techie talk for me

[fenian]

No way would I allow microsoft to scan my computer just cause some people got infected. Its bad enough that microsoft are dumbing down the experience to compete with apple.

[ProjectVRD]

That's fine, just opt out when gives the option after the update is installed. I personally would say yes because turning down security is silly.

[fenian]

if turning down security is silly, then why are you even on windows? you turned down multiple different more secure alternatives to be on windows?

fact is, windows is secure enough that it should leave the security to 3rd parties, they shouldnt waste money because some people will get virus when others who use their computer in a more secure way wont.

Makes no sense.

[ProjectVRD]

From an professional IT background I am inclined to disagree about the system being secure enough, third parties do an ok job on most occasions but all systems need better security. Nothing is infallible in computing and the home edition of security program's should be as good as their Enterprise counterparts but they ain't, if Microsoft offered a scanning tool on the enterprise level for free I would jump at the chance to use it.

[fenian]

You said it was silly to decline security, so why even go on windows?  What in your profesional opinion warrants the risk? or are you now retracting your statement and saying that declining security is ok because nothing is secure you just wish more options were given for free?

Only small minorities of windows users have been affected, Microsoft patch security flaws at the industry standard rate, sometimes quicker. They have no obligation to provide free virus scanning, and from a profesional business point of view, its silly.

Basic business would suggest that they leave it to 3rd parties, most competent home users never get a virus, most people get them by being idiots, let them sort it themselves microsoft would be insane to spend money on it.

[ProjectVRD]

Eh? You said yourself that windows was pretty secure but appear to be saying differently in the first paragraph of the last post. Either way my system is very secure by home standards, there are very few sites that I can actually access... they are all blocked by router and if I want to access one not on the allowed list then I will have to add it. I can't view anything from flicker for instance which is why I sometimes say the I can't see anything is people's posts on this forum.

My instance of Windows is fairly secure but you can never have too much, it's a lot more secure than Mac anyway

[strangeplaice]

Really don't see why windows update can't just apply a hotfix to repair it :\