On 9th July as many as 20,000 unsuspecting computer users in the UK could suffer an Internet blackout. This potential problem has been highlighted by the FBI in the USA who, up until the 9th July have been protecting infecting users from a worldwide advertising scam. However, due to the enormous costs of this protection, it is due to be shut down in July, and anyone infected won’t be able to get on the internet, if a solution cannot be reached in time.
Jat Mann, Managing Director of PC PAL, a UK Network of PC Repair Experts, commented,
Jat Mann - MD, PC PAL with Engineers
“According to the FBI those left with this infection are likely to be individuals and not companies. However, most peoplethese days rely heavily on their internet connection whether it’s for internet shopping, research, banking, running small home businesses, the list goes on. As far as we know most of these people will not be able to tell if they are infected until the plug is pulled on 9th July! The good news is that we have prior warning of the exact date this may occur, which is very unusual in the world of computer viruses and other problems, so people can take action now and hopefully avert disaster!
“We would therefore urge all internet users to visit www.dcwg.org, the FBI’s security partner, who should be able to let you know if you are infected. If they do inform you that your computer or laptop is infected, they will run you through the solution to fixing the problem. Of course some people may not feel confident in doing this, which is when they need to call in a qualified professional who will be able to clear the issue and give the computer a clean bill of health.”
