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

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