Check FBI website to avoid losing Internet connectivity

Thousands may be without Internet access on July 9 unless they check their computer for malware. The FBI believes there are currently 64,000 infected computers in the United States.

The Associated Press is reporting the problem began when international hackers ran an online advertising scam to take control of more than 570,000 computers around the world. The FBI went in to take down the hackers late last year, but agents realized if they turned off the malicious servers, all  victims would lose their Internet service.

In what the AP called a highly unusual move, the FBI brought in a private company to install two clean Internet servers to take over the malicious servers so that users nationwide would not suddenly lose their Internet.

That temporary system will be shut down at 12:01 a.m. EDT Monday, July 9.

The FBI has a set up a website to check if your computer is infected. Visit http://www.dcwg.org to see if your computer is infected and will therefore lose its internet connectivity when the temporary system is shut down on Monday.