Search form

Back to Blog

Web Giants Warn of Malware

FBITwo giants of the Internet want to make sure you can still get to them after July 9.

Google and Facebook are actively scanning the computers of their users to find some of the nearly 1 million people who have been infected with the DNSChanger malware in the U.S. Google is displaying a warning across the top of its search results page, while Facebook has placed a similar warning at the top of its post-login page. If a user’s computer is infected, Google and Facebook will know and display the warning. Users who are not infected will see no warning at all.

With so many computers potentially impacted by the DNSChange malware, it is no surprise that these two mega-sites want to help eliminate it. Any machine afflicted with the DNSChanger will not be able to connect to the Internet after July 9.

As reported by CNet, the whole problem goes back to an online criminal ring from 2007 that was tinkering with computers' settings and then directing users to rogue servers that the criminals had set up. These servers then re-directed users to malicious Web sites. Late last year, the FBI arrested the ring and seized the rogue servers. But since so many infected computers relied on the servers to reach the Internet, the agency opted not to shut them down and instead converted them to legitimate DNS machines. Due to the high cost associated with operating these servers, the FBI has decided to shut them down on July 9, leaving any infected computer that has not been fixed with no way to reach the Internet.

The Google and Facebook warnings offer links to information on how to remove the DNSChange malware. Anyone who thinks he may be a victim is encouraged to run a Google search, or log in to Facebook to find out for sure.

More

Using the News in the Classroom:...

On December 1, 1955, a tired seamstress living in Montgomery, Alabama, made history. Rosa Parks was an African American woman who broke the law when she refused to give up her seat on a crowded bus for a white passenger. Her act of civil disobedience resulted in her being kicked off the bus and her arrest! She was charged and found guilty of violating the segregation law of the city...

Five Ways to Challenge Gifted Students...

What do I do when they finish their work early?

This is a common question posed by teachers when it comes to gifted students. But it really shouldn’t be a problem—if you have the right training, the right philosophy and some “go-to” strategies in your teaching toolbox. Some teachers simply give gifted students more of the same work. The student finishes the assigned math problems—so have them complete 10 more of the same type of problems. In other classrooms, teachers ask gifted...

Meeting the Needs of a Culturally...

Teachers in U.S. public schools are educating students who more racially and ethnically diverse than at any other time in our history (Levin & Nolan, 2014); any other time in history. In 2008, 44 percent of students were from minority ethnic groups. By 2040, this number is expected to grow to more than 50 percent (Levin & Nolan, 2014).

What does this mean for teachers? For starters, the challenge to meet the needs of diversity in the classroom are massive—and are not...

The Global Search for Education: Have...

“With TeachUps, educators will fully reap the benefits of the 21st century’s most touted model of instruction, ‘blended learning’, and seamlessly navigate offline and online learning for themselves as well as their students.” —  Niccolina Clements Mangroo
...

What Became of the Mayflower? Was it...

Perhaps you will find this interactive activity notebook of interest to use with your students during the Thanksgiving holiday.

Ever wonder what became of the Mayflower? The ship sailed with 102 pilgrims over the Atlantic to North America, in 1620. If you are expecting to find it docked to some pier, or in a museum, you’d be wrong. That’s because...

The Global Search for Education:...

“I want readers to walk away understanding that education requires a holistic approach and should not be solely measured by assessments.” — Nadia Lopez 

In 2010, Nadia Lopez founded Mott Hall Bridges Academy, a public middle school which is located in Brownsville...

Gobble, Gobble. Fun Turkey Fact to...

Amazing Turkey Facts:
Possible Interactive Notebook Activity

Click here for user friendly version.

November is Thanksgiving time and most of us will be celebrating with a turkey dinner. Did you know that the Native American Indians were raising turkeys as far back as 1000 A.D.? Did you know that the Aztecs, of...

Setting the Tone for a Positive,...

During the first scenario, you wake up early, after hopefully a sound sleep, you sip coffee and eat your scrambled eggs, read the newspaper, maybe get a little exercise in. After showering and dressing, you leave to work a little early, knowing you could hit traffic. In the second case, you wake up late, scramble to get ready, forget to have breakfast and your much-needed caffeine, rush to your car and leave late, hoping you don’t hit traffic.

What’s the difference in these scenarios...

Thanksgiving Is Coming! Factoids to...


Pilgrim Factoids
Possible Interactive Notebook Activity
by
Gail Skroback Hennessey

  1. Over the years, many people took samples of Plymouth Rock. Today, it is now one-third of the size it was during the time of the Pilgrims.
  2. The sailors on the Mayflower didn’t care for the Pilgrims and called them “flib-gabbety puke stockings” because so many of the Pilgrims got seasick.
  3. ...

The Global Search for Education: What...

“Employers have to remain involved in making their needs heard, and education institutions have to accept that we educate for Life and Work, not only Life.” — Charles Fadel

Employers want to hire people with 21st-century skills and they can’t find...

Pages