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

Tour de France Begins!

On July 4th, the Tour de France began and will end on July 26th. It's considered the world's biggest and most exciting bicycling race. Athletes competing in the race will travel  approximately 2072 miles during the 22 day race. This year's Tour de France began in Utrecht,Netherlands.Cyclists will...

Why Are There Fewer Black, Hispanic...

Why is it that fewer black and Hispanic students continue to be represented in our school’s gifted programs?

For instance, you might have 300 white students at a school and 160 have been identified as gifted. On the other hand, you have 200 black students,...

C. M. Rubin's Global Education...

C. M. Rubin's Global Education Report - Around the World in 30 Days

This past month, I spoke to education innovators around the world about topics ranging from improving city schools to inclusivity to the increasing importance of film festivals in the digital age. The perspectives were manifold and...

Teacher Equity, Teacher Preparation,...

Last year, the U.S. Department of Education issued a call, under its Excellent Educators for All initiative, for every state to provide an “equity” plan detailing how they would ensure that effective teachers were in every school. In doing so, ED implied we can no longer stand by policies or practice that shortchanged high-need schools when it came...

Why Teachers Should Have to Take a...

            It’s safe to say that most college graduates going into teaching have little knowledge of the needs of gifted children.

            In one case, researchers Berman and Shultz, when working with pre-service teachers—some obtaining their master’s degrees before heading  into the classroom- found that they had virtually no knowledge of the needs and nature of...

The Best Ways a Teacher Can Demonstrate...

Effective leadership in the classroom, according to Theo...

Getting Creative About Teaching...

E. Paul Torrance, the late psychologist who dedicated his life to study of creativity, proposed that you can enhance creativity in children by establishing the right conditions. Like a plant that needs sunlight, water,...

Lesson Opportunity: Treasury to Place a...

Do you know who is on a ten dollar bill? If you answered Alexander Hamilton, you are correct...for now. The U.S. Treasury has announced that there will be a change coming in 2020. A woman's face will be featured on the ten dollar bill!  The year, 2020, is the 100th anniversary of the 19th...

The Global Search for Education:...

"Increased awareness of the positive correlations between engaged parents/families and student achievement has led to...

Science Activity: Exploring Brain Facts

COOL BRAIN FACTOIDS!
by
Gail Skroback Hennessey

The brain is made up of five main parts: the brain stem, pituitary gland, hypothalamus,...

Pages