Search form

Back to Blog

Internet Doomsday is Here

DoomsdayIf you’re reading this, odds are you are not one of the 570,000 people in the U.S. infected with the DNS Malware Virus. Congratulations. Yet, while you can still surf around to your heart’s content, ISPs are working overtime to help those less fortunate users find their way back to the information superhighway.

This morning at 12:01 the FBI shut down its DNS servers, which were acting as the only path to the Internet for hundreds of thousands of computers. s 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.

ISP are taking a proactive approach to the problem with Comcast has contacting users with infected computers, according to the Wall Street Journal. Verizon has lined up technicians who can help customers remove the virus and AT&T plans to redirect infected PCs to the correct Web sites.

People who are unable to get online should call their ISP to see if their computers are infected. CNET has also posted a how-to guide to help people detect whether their PCs are pointing to the DNSChanger network.

More

A Great Start to the Day

Your classroom community is set up, you have your daily schedule, and you are ready to start the day. An exciting part of the day is when the children enter the classroom community. They are happy to be there, and they want to learn! I wanted to share some things I did in my Classroom that...

How Meditation and Martial Arts Help...

Creators David Friedman and Philip Kholos continue the adventure of Koga, a boy who uses meditation, yoga, and kung fu to navigate life’s challenges in Koga and Friends:ShelterThe film was  selected for Best of...

Oxford Michigan School Shooting

Once again there was a school shooting in the US and this time in Michigan. As a former secondary school administrator, I try to reflect on what I would have done if I was in that situation.  Every state and school district has their own rules and policies on suspensions, searching back bags, etc. Unfortunately, blame is being placed on school officials and what they did not do to prevent this tragedy. Did they school officials do the right thing by interviewing the student and meeting with...

Teaching in a Technology World

As we know too well, kids today from almost the time they leave the crib are tech savvy. Kids are glued to their devices and it takes a very entertaining teacher to distract students in the classroom from their phones.  Teaching the old fashion way of stand and deliver is no longer effective. Unfortunately, this is the way many educators still teach. For too many teachers they teach like they were taught, and that could have been many years ago. Also not all teachers embrace using technology...

Retiring - This Will Happen To All Of...

I have been blessed to retire twice, once in the USA and the last time in Egypt after 51 plus years in education.

I have a couple of suggestions for you. Check your financial status with your school or state retirement system, review your retirement savings and investment, find out when would be the best time to start drawing your Social Security. Do plan on inflation and other unexpected costs as best as you can. Always keep your family in the loop on these...

Academic Booster Club

For many years there have been debates in K-12 education in the US concerning incentives or rewarding students for grades, attendance, behavior, test scores, etc. I remember at one time that educators frowned on the idea of rewarding students, especially older pupils for showing improvement. The belief was that students should want to improve their grades, attendance etc. for its own self reward. That students would be more interested in the "prizes" than the actual improvement that they...

Pages