Weird story.

WASHINGTON (AP) — For computer users, a few mouse clicks could mean the difference between staying online and losing Internet connections this summer.

Unknown to most of them, their problem began when international hackers ran an online advertising scam to take control of infected computers around the world. In a highly unusual response, the FBI set up a safety net months ago using government computers to prevent Internet disruptions for those infected users. But that system is to be shut down.

The FBI is encouraging users to visit a website run by its security partner, http://www.dcwg.org , that will inform them whether they're infected and explain how to fix the problem. After July 9, infected users won't be able to connect to the Internet.

Read more at the link above.

The FBI...hmmm. can't trust them all that much since they are from the government.

THIS IS A CONSPIRACY

FBI WANT TO TAKE OVER OUR COMPUTERS

Looks like our national paranoia is rearing its ugly head again :P

"Government? Fuck no, can't trust em!"

Did this originate from an april fools? It feels like it.

No, it's a real thing, I think they've been running interference vs. the command and control servers for this botnet. Once they take it down and the command and control asserts itself the infected machines may go down, as predicted.

I am sorry but I distrust anything government-related after their little War on Drugs and the Patriot Act, and the DMCA, and on and on and on...

Paranoia: they might not be out to get you BUT YOU NEVER KNOW!! :P

If this is true, someone didn't think this one trough.

"So, we're gonna have this system up, like, forever?"
"I don't know. Kinda..."

I just did this, i heard of this on the radio a while back. So glad I am not infected.

You can trust the NSA on cryptography issues. They have a serious stake in make it perfect and have often suggested "improvements" took us in the public some time to figure out why they were better. Yes, they are that far ahead and yes they have ZERO interest in having anything "crackable" or with backdoors in it. Budget cuts. And they probably would have re-purposed it as they took down and arrested the folks behind each botnet.

I understand them, It's logical you want to prevent this kind of intrusions. The method was a bit on the "hotfix now, worry later" though, but better than nothing, that's for sure. Now a lot of people will get the postponed effect anyway.

Even if this is real, I would still take whatver the FBI says with a grain of salt the size of the Utah salt Flats...

Did find references to this on the FBI website although a google search doesn't seem to hint at it at all, so seems legit enough.

I just checked and I am not infected. now that I think about it I did hear about this DNSChanger thing but I forgot about it.

edit: nevermind apparently it was some Estonians...