JUST ANOTHER MALWARE MONDAY
The Osgood File. Sponsored in part by Angie's List. Get reviews you can trust and great discounts from service providers right in your own area. Coming up, a special offer for you. I'm Sam Litzinger sitting in for Charles Osgood on the CBS Radio Network.
When computer technology works, it's great. When it doesn't - well, life can get complicated. Case in point: some of you may find your computers turning against you today - thanks to hackers from Estonia.
More after this from Charlie.
((( SPOT )))
A quick lesson on computers - and of course I didn't KNOW this - I had to look it up. When you're on the Internet and you click on a link, things called domain name servers take your request and in essence, say: "OK, Sam wants to go to KuteKittenVideos - AGAIN - so we'll take him there." Fine - when it WORKS.
But now some hackers in Estonia, of all places, figured out they could disrupt things and take you instead to some evil place that has nasty malware which will cause your computer a world of hurt. And probably drive you crazy. CBS News and CNET technology consultant Larry Magid.
SOT: Larry Magid, CBS News and CNET Technology Consultant
"The FBI estimates that about four million computers around the world and about 500-thousand computers in the United States were infected with this malware." (:10)
He says this malware IS nasty.
SOT: Larry Magid, CBS News and CNET Technology Consultant
"Unlike most computer viruses, DNSChanger can affect MacIntosh computers. And in fact, if your router is compromised, it can even affect tablets and phones and other devices that are connected to your home network." (:13)
Fortunately, there's a pretty quick fix to this.
SOT: Larry Magid, CBS News and CNET Technology Consultant
"There are two steps for people who are infected. The first step is to make sure they get rid of the malicious software from their computer, and the second step is to make sure that their computers and their routers are properly configured." (:12)
In a worse-case scenario, do what I always do: Call the IT people at the office, remind them that you're totally clueless when it comes to anything technical, beg forgiveness, buy them an energy drink - they live on those - and let them fix it.
NAT SOT: (from 2001: A Space Odyssey) (:03)
The Osgood File. Sam Litzinger on the CBS Radio Network. |
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