Internet users advised not to open malicious email attachments

A serious threat has cropped up from a malware that could infect computers even without the knowledge of their users.

The malware has been introduced by a sophisticated Internet fraud ring that uses the servers to manipulate people’s web browsing.

The way by which computers are most likely to be infected by this malware is by opening malicious attachments in emails or by visiting suspicious websites through links included in an email.

The Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team/ Coordinating Centre (Sri Lanka CERT/CC) confirms, however, that it has not as yet received any complaints regarding infected computers or any Internet users being a victim of this malware.

They strongly advise Internet users to check if their computers have been infected by this malicious software and remove it if necessary by visiting the following link http:// www.dcwg.org/detect.

To counteract this threat the US Foreign Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has decided to shut down several web servers through which infected users’ web traffic has been travelling.

This shutting down will become effective from July 9, 2012. Consequently, thousands of Sri Lankan Internet users will be among millions worldwide who will face a total Internet blackout from July 9, 2012.

The malware changes a user’s domain name system (DNS) settings, diverting all web requests through servers that the FBI seized in November, but has been temporarily maintaining to ensure Internet services were not disrupted. This maintenance will finish on July 9, meaning computers still infected will face Internet troubles.

CERT/CC is a fully owned subsidiary of t he ICT Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA). It is a government agency mandated with the protection of Information and Information Systems within the state sector, while extending its services to the private sector and general public.